UEFA has warned that players who are not captains at Euro 2024 risk being warned if they approach referees during matches.
In a move similar to the laws of rugby union, match officials will only discuss key decisions with the skippers.
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An open letter from UEFA’s director general of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, addressed the new rule for this summer’s tournament in Germany.
The decision was made to prevent whistleblowers from being “swarmed” by players, which should lead to better communication.
Those who break the new rule risk receiving a yellow card – the same sanction given to rugby players.
However, if one of the national team captains is a goalkeeper, a field player will be designated to be the shooter’s spokesperson if an incident occurs at the other end of the field.
Commenting on the change, Rosetti said: “It’s impossible for a referee to explain a decision with up to 22 players harassing you.
“This can lead to a breakdown in communication, with the beautiful game very quickly becoming very ugly, which, everyone agrees, is bad for the image of football.
“Some decisions will of course always be debated. However, in an effort to improve the status quo, we at UEFA would like referees to explain their decisions more fully to all teams participating in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament .
“How are we going to do this? The idea is simple, we ask all teams to ensure that their captain is the only player to speak to the referee.
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“We ask captains to ensure that their teammates do not encroach or surround the referee, allowing for direct conversations so that the decision is relayed in a timely and respectful manner.”
Rosetti added: “We want only the team captain who wishes to discuss a decision to be able to address the referee.
“It is the responsibility of the captain to ensure that his teammates respect the referee, keep their distance and do not surround him.
“Any teammate who ignores the role of their captain and/or who approaches the referee showing any sign of disrespect or dissent will be given a yellow card.
“Obviously, if the captain is a goalkeeper, there will need to be a named outfield player who can fill that role in the event of an incident at the other end of the pitch.”
Euro 2024 begins on June 14 and lasts a month, with England’s quest for a first trophy since 1966 beginning against Serbia on June 16. They will also face Denmark and Serbia in their group matches.
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