Six man refereeing team trialled in Cyprus

There has been much furor on recent weeks over the standard of refereeing in the Premier League, and UEFA appear to have made some proactive steps towards improving standards. During an U-19 match between Cyprus and the Czech Republic this week, extra match officials were employed to assist with penalty area decisions:

The two extra assistants are charged with identifying foul play in the penalty area and patrol a limited space near the goal, on or just either side of the dead-ball line. They do not have flags but alert the referee via headsets. (The sixth official is the current reserve referee, who continues in his traditional role of being shouted at by managers on the touchline.)

The new arrangement comes straight from the brain of Michael Platini, who