VAR decisions to be explained to fans

Fans watcing the FIFA World Cup games in New Zealand and Australia later this year should be able to hear referees explaining their VAR decisions.

Referee watching a VAR screen
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The International Football Assocation Board, football’s law-making body, has decided to introduce a 12-month trial allowing stadium crowds and television audiences to hear how a decision was made.

The trial will start at next month’s FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, where Auckland City is competing.

The players’ union FIFPRO had lobbied for such a trial in the English Premier League, France’s Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer in the United States.

IFAB said in a statement after a meeting at London’s Wembley Stadium that it also discussed clarifications relating to the laws of the game, including the guidelines on ‘deliberate play’ in offside situations.

FIFA has invested heavily in VAR technology since it was introduced at the 2018 World Cup in Russia but controversy remains.

Japan’s victory over Spain in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar triggered a heated debate, with the ball initially judged to have gone out of play but the decision then reversed after a lengthy VAR consultation.

VAR decision shown on a screen in Britain
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

English Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham, who chaired the meeting, said conversations between the referee and the VAR official would remain private.

Referees would however have a microphone to explain the outcome.

“There will be a trial where in FIFA tournaments over the next 12 months there is the ability for the referee, after a VAR decision has been made, to announce to the stadium and the broadcast audience what has happened and to clarify that decision,” he said.

“We think that is important in terms of transparency, and also for the crowd in the stadium who we think at the moment do not get enough information.”

The experiment is likely to be extended to this year’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

IFAB said no consensus was reached on carrying out a trial with temporary substitutions for actual or suspected concussion but the subject remained under active review.

A trial of permanent concussion substitutions was extended indefinitely.

IFAB also looked at measures to create fairer conditions and the amount of time played, but decided against introducing a ‘countdown clock’ to limit time-wasting.

“The approach taken during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was received positively, and possible measures included the stricter and more accurate calculation of additional time and a more consistent application of the Laws of the Game,” it said.