The head of Premier League referees, Howard Webb, has said he is exploring the possibility that referees might be allowed to explain some of their decisions to the crowd inside a stadium for the first time - from next season.

World football's lawmakers, IFAB, have rules that forbid any discussions between match officials to be played live inside a stadium - even though the body responsible for appointing Premier League referees, Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL], is pushing for that to change in the future.

But PGMOL think it may be permissible within the existing rules for referees to explain their decision to the crowd whenever they are called over to review an incident on the pitchside monitor.

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That would be the only circumstance in which the referee would be allowed to speak directly to the crowd.

Webb addressed the issue in Match Officials Mic'd Up, which aired on Sky Sports Premier League on Tuesday.

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Forest would likely have had penalty if ref went to monitor, says Webb.

IFAB won't allow it.

"But Howard Webb says he thinks there is scope within the existing rules for referees when they're called over to the screen to review a decision to then explain - if they are changing that decision - why they are changing it to the crowd.

"So by next season, we might see, for the first time, the referee for the first time talk directly to the crowd to explain their decisions."

Webb: Forest would likely have had penalty if ref went to monitor

In the latest instalment of Match Officials Mic'd Up, PGMOL chief Webb also explained that Nottingham Forest would likely have been awarded one penalty in their controversial 2-0 defeat at Everton.

Forest had three separate penalty appeals dismissed by referee Anthony Taylor during the match with the on-field decisions endorsed by VAR Stuart Attwell.

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Former Premier League referee Mike Dean says that Nottingham Forest's statement suggesting that Stuart Attwell is a Luton Town fan was 'astounding' and questions why they hadn't complained about being refereed by him earlier in the season.

However, speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said Ashley Young's tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi should have seen referee Taylor sent to the pitchside monitor.

"We would have preferred an intervention on this situation for the referee to go to the screen to make a judgement for himself in this situation and probably would have come out with a different outcome if that would have happened."

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