Only captains are allowed to speak to the referee

Referees must explain controversial decisions to teams in the European Football Championship often and only speak to the captain of the team concerned. “We call on all teams to ensure that only the captain speaks to the referee,” Roberto Rossetti, head of the UEFA Referees Committee, said in a statement published on Tuesday.

“For their part, captains have to make sure that their teammates do not harass the referee or speak to them directly, so that the decision can be explained as quickly and respectfully as possible,” the Italian said. He continues: “Any player who ignores his captain’s role, complains to the referee and/or behaves in a disrespectful manner will be warned.”

Instead of the goalkeeper, a designated field player in front of him may speak

If the captain is the goalkeeper, a field player should be named who can act as a contact person in case controversial scenes occur at the other end of the field. Participants of the European Championship (from June 14 to July 14) will be prepared for innovation in meetings with UEFA experts and, if possible, with European Championship referees.

It was decided at a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at the beginning of March as a test of the rules that only captains should speak to the referee in highly controversial situations. Under the decision of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), associations are free to use this as a test in their competitions.