Ligue 1 Wants More Entertainment: New Instructions for Referees Revealed

The referees of Ligue 1 have received new instructions for the upcoming season that starts this Saturday.

The head referee, Antony Gautier, is aiming for more entertainment. Referees have been given new guidelines and are encouraged this season to extend the added time and show more tolerance towards physical contacts. The goal is to move closer to the robust style of play seen in the Premier League.

« The objective is to further promote the game and entertainment, » explained the director of French refereeing to the LFP website. « The idea is to have the most fluid matches possible, with the need not to intervene unnecessarily on minor contacts that do not contribute to the flow of the game, and to integrate a new provision that IFAB (the keeper of the laws of the game) has implemented since July 1, which concerns added time. »

« The time lost after celebrating a goal will be compensated in added time. This is an important element that will have an impact on the duration of matches, similar to what we saw at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 or what we are currently witnessing at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, » compared the former referee of the French league.