Nearly 50 years after NFL refs got microphones, English soccer trials in-stadium announcements

The NFL has been doing it since the 1970s.

On Tuesday, English soccer finally joined the party by having referees explain controversial rulings to fans in the stadium via a wireless microphone.

The English League Cup semifinals were chosen to pilot a system in which officials use the public address system to communicate directly with fans after incidents involving Video Assistant Referees (VAR).

The semifinal first leg between Arsenal and Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium became the first to trial the system. But there was no call for referee Craig Pawson to address the crowd as Newcastle won 2-0 through goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

One potential incident when Isak appeared to push Martin Odegaard in the buildup to his goal did not result in Pawson checking the sideline monitor.

The English Football League, which runs the League Cup, said the announcements would “provide greater clarity and understanding around key decisions."

In-stadium announcements were in place at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 and other FIFA events.

In the Premier League such decisions are communicated to supporters via big screens or the PA system. They confirm if a VAR check is in place and the final decision.

Under the trialed process, the referee will communicate the final decision directly to the crowd after reviewing an incident on a sideline monitor. Incidents such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offsides will also be communicated.

Only the final decision will be announced.

While in-stadium announcements are a recent introduction to soccer, they have been widely used in other sports.

NFL referees were given wireless microphones in 1975 to explain penalty decisions. The NFL had an initial replay system from 1986-91, abandoned it, then reinstalled it for the 1999 season. The NHL added a replay system in 1991 and the NBA in 2002.

Major League Baseball began in-park announcements during replay reviews in 2022 and microphones have long-been used by rugby referees.

The English soccer trial includes both of the two-legged League Cup semifinals.

Tottenham plays Liverpool in the other semifinal, with the first leg being staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer