In controversial cases

Only captains may discuss with referee at European Championships

Referees are to explain controversial decisions to the teams more frequently at the European Football Championship and only speak to the respective team captain. "We call on all teams to ensure that only the captain speaks to the referee," said UEFA head of refereeing Roberto Rosetti in a statement published on Tuesday.

"For their part, the captains must ensure that their teammates neither press the referee nor speak directly to him, so that the decision can be explained as quickly and respectfully as possible," said the Italian. It goes on to say: "Any player who ignores the role of his captain, complains to the referee and/or behaves disrespectfully will be cautioned."

One outfield player per team
If the captain is the goalkeeper, an outfield player must be designated to act as a contact person at the other end of the pitch in the event of controversial scenes. In meetings with UEFA experts and, if possible, European Championship referees, the participants in the European Championship (June 14 to July 14) will be prepared for this change.

The fact that only the captains should speak to the referee in highly controversial scenes was already decided as a test run at a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at the beginning of March. With the IFAB decision, associations are free to apply this as a test in their competitions.