The Football lawmakers Saturday gave the green light to roll out video technology, putting the FA on a collision course with Premier League clubs over the most historic and ground-breaking rule change of recent years.
As anticipated the International FA Board voted for video assistant referees to be used from the World Cup this summer despite calls to delay implementation until the system has been properly ironed out.
FIFA added their own statement on the decision, saying: ‘It represents a new era for football, helping to increase integrity and fairness in the game.’
Last week’s comical scenes at Wembley during Tottenham’s 6-1 FA cup replay win over Rochdale, which saw several controversial referrals to the VAR and led to multiple stoppages, was the latest in a string of contentious incidents across Europe.
UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin has refused to allow VARs in next season’s Champions League while a number of Premier League bosses are uncomfortable with the flow of the game being interrupted leaving both fans and players totally bemused.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was the first to publically comment last week ahead of a vote next month that will require a two-thirds majority for VAR to be used next season in the Premier League rather than simply as an experiment in cup competitions.
The Spanish La liga has already indicated that the method will be introduced next season
According to Sky Sports’ Andy Charles, Spanish Football Federation president Javier Tebas previously hinted at the introduction of VAR, and the news has now been made official.
VAR has been in use in Serie A and the Bundesliga, where it’s been mostly successful after shaky starts, per ESPN FC.
English football has also experimented with the system in cup competitions, but it hasn’t been a success so far.
But while England appears to lag behind for now, the rise of VAR seems unstoppable at this point and the decision reached this weekend could trigger off fast-track the leagues yet to embrace the system
VAR has only been around in the sport since 2016, and it wasn’t used on a full-time basis in any league until Australia’s A-League adopted it in 2017. Growing pains were to be expected, as the system has not yet been perfected and officials still have to learn to use it.
