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Premier League broadcasters are set to lift the lid on some of football’s most heated on-field exchanges after the league approved an important update to its broadcast rules.

As per a report by the Daily Mail, from this season onwards, television rights holders Sky Sports and TNT Sports will be allowed to air audio captured through the RefCam system during live matches.

RefCam, which is a camera attached to the referee’s headset, was brought in last season to offer viewers the official’s point of view. Its role has now been widened, with broadcasters set to use audio from as many as two matches each week, allowing viewers to hear the precise conversations between players and referees. That means supporters will, for the first time, get access to the raw exchanges that unfold on the pitch during key moments in games.

The audio will not go out fully live. Instead, it will be played in near-live instant replays shortly after selected incidents take place. The moments chosen for broadcast will be decided jointly by the broadcasters, the Premier League and refereeing body Pro Ref. The Premier League said that airing this audio will “give supporters further insight into how and why decisions are made”.

In addition, the independent Key Match Incidents Panel, which reviews whether major calls such as red cards and penalties were correct, will start publishing its weekly findings directly on the Premier League website as part of a broader push for transparency.

Even with this move towards greater openness, live in-game video assistant referee audio will still not be available during broadcasts because of current rules laid down by the International Football Association Board. The fresh audio access will only include recordings from the on-field microphone and not live conversations involving the video assistant referee.

At the same time, chief refereeing officer Howard Webb will carry on making regular appearances on the Match Officials Mic'd Up programme, where he provides detailed analysis and unedited audio from controversial decisions. The number of televised matches using RefCam technology is also expected to rise sharply this season, increasing from 20 games to around 45.

Looking further ahead, the Premier League and Pro Ref are continuing to press the International Football Association Board to ease the restrictions that currently block the live broadcast of video assistant referee communications. Although the RefCam audio trial will not be used on the opening weekend, it is expected to begin soon before being introduced more widely across the full top-flight season.