Candid Camera: Ref-Cam to help reduce abuse

BY JOHN DAVIDSON

The RFL is hopeful that the introduction of cameras on referees during games this year will help reduce the abuse of match officials and retain more referees in the sport.

All match referees will wear Ref-Cams in the first round of the Challenge Cup and across several community rugby league fixtures, after a successful trial period in the National Conference League (NCL) last year.

The initiative is aimed at improving player and spectator behaviour, as well as furthering the development of officials.

Liam Moore, the RFL’s Match Officials Recruitment and Development Officer as well as a full-time referee, said: “We identified that poor touchline behaviour, and poor player behaviour to young referees in particular, was causing a big impact on the size of our referee pool.

“The issue is not recruiting referees, it’s retaining referees. 

“One of the biggest factors we’ve had in losing referees, including experienced referees, is the case when they’ve got to a community game and they were abused – by a touchline, a coach or by a player – and we lost them to the game. 

“So we were starting back at square one.

“So we sat down and came an idea was the introduction of Ref-Cams. We did it in the National Conference League last year with six Ref-Cams. 

“These are GoPro cameras that sit on the ref’s head. We found that not only did the camera act as a deterrent to players not to abuse the referee, we saw match abuse cases lower in the NCL last year.” 

Moore said on the back of the trial, 200 Ref-Cams have been bought to be used across the sport. 

“They’ll be rolled out throughout the country. 

“They will be used in round one of every game of the Challenge Cup. 

“They can be used as part of the disciplinary process for players, but the second point is the development of referees and hear what they’re saying to players. 

“We can help bring them through the season and hopefully to Super League in a few years’ time.”

English football has had its own issues with the abuse of referees and in retaining referees within its sport, and has been in touch with the RFL about gaining information on the initiative.

“We’re pioneers on this,” Moore said.

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