Ian Maxwell in VAR 'transparency' pledge as clubs told SFA refs could wear microphones ahead of crunch talks

Scottish referees could soon be mic’d up as the SFA consider ways to bring clearer transparency to the game.

Delegates from all top-flight clubs will attend a summit at Hampden to discuss a variety issues which includes the impact of the introduction of VAR and the controversial refereeing calls which littered the last campaign. SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell revealed all options are on the table, including having the on-field decisions from whistlers being made audible in a bid to remove confusion for players, clubs and fans.

He said: “We will consider everything. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited have employed a voice coach because the referees need to be aware that what they’re saying could be heard by the wider public. Scottish football fans have a specific mentality and how they talk to players would be analysed to the ninth degree. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be doing it, we just need to be aware of that additional context behind it.

"They are a lot further down the line because their officials have used VAR on the pitch for a long time. Our guys haven’t even used it for a season.

"If you think about the number of times over the last seven months a single referee has had it on the pitch or in the VAR room, it’s probably only just in double figures for each.

"There’s not a huge amount of experience. Everything is on the table. We are not saying we’re definitely not doing anything. We need to make sure the timing is right and the processes are right and that we don’t jump into things too early and cause more problems than they solve.”

Maxwell admits the teething issues with the technology can be improved but he’s hoping today’s summit will help bring clarity to some of the contentious