FIFA has reiterated that firms from the betting industry, and other sectors, are prohibited from sponsoring referee shirts or VAR rooms after it emerged that some of its rules have been loosely followed in some countries.

The global football governing body sent a circular to member associations this week issuing a reminder about certain stipulations in its regulations around the ‘Organisation of Refereeing’.

FIFA has ‘kindly reminded’ its members that gambling advertising is not permitted on shirts worn by match officials, in match video operation rooms (VOR) or referee review areas (RRA).

The statement read: “In this context and in line with FIFA’s statutory commitment to good governance, ethical conduct and the integrity of matches and competitions, as well as with a view to preventing any practice that might jeopardise these principles, we would like to reiterate the importance that Member Associations respect and comply with the principles of the Regulations.”

The Brazilian football scene, which is navigating the complexities of working commercially with betting firms for the first time after a regulated market was launched this year, may be one of the main countries of concern for FIFA.

Brazilian football clubs have spent the past year or so cashing in on sponsorship deals, moving quickly to reap the financial benefits enjoyed by counterparts in more established markets like the UK, France and the US.

For the most part these have been deals between clubs and/or leagues and betting operators. Companies like Betfair, which have built up a lot of experience of sports sponsorship and the dynamics of a commercial relationship with football, have partnered with the likes of Rio de Janeiro side CR Vasco da Gama, for example.

As it stands, cases of betting firms sponsoring referee kits are hard to come by. This is likely due to even the most novice of bookmaker marketing teams being well aware of the negative image this could portray.

Given that referees make key decisions like bookings and disallowing goals which are both a) betting markets in their own right and b) can have a huge impact on the outcome and final scoreline of a game, allowing these officials to be sponsored by betting firms would not be a great public image for the industry, in any country.

Though cases of referees being sponsored by bookmakers or casinos are hardly common, there have been cases where companies in other industries have sponsored referees signing some all-encompassing deals. FIFA wants to ensure that such deals do not violate its rules.

According to SBC Noticias – Brasil, the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) has signed deals with eight different companies, none of which were betting firms. These deals have included sponsorship of referee jerseys and shorts, with SBC Noticias estimating the total value of the referee jerseys deals at around R$8m (€1.2m/£1m).

While FIFA has not cited any cases of bookmakers or casinos sponsoring match officials, its statement may indicate that it is monitoring the situation closely amid wider public and political scrutiny of the relationship between betting and football. This security is being seen across various countries, from Brazil to the UK and the Netherlands.