New VAR system with ‘coach’s challenge’ trialled by IFAB

A new system for checking referees' decisions has been given tacit endorsement by soccer’s global officiating body after trials into Football Video Support (FVS) were extended this week.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has been conducting studies into the new approach, which would see teams given two ‘coach’s challenge' opportunities during a game to contest decisions. Coaches will be able to request that the referee goes to a pitchside screen to check the decision if they believe that an error was made.

The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has failed to provide soccer with the certainly that was initially billed and there are growing calls for substantial changes. Like VAR, the FVS system is only designed to be used “in the event of a possible clear and obvious error or serious missed incident”.

Crucially, however, with FVS the decisions would not be automatically checked and the process would need to be initiated by coaches. As it stands each team is given two reviews per game, although they will retain an appeal if the original decision is overturned.

What has FIFA said about new VAR alternative?

The coach’s challenge element of FVS means that a team of officials are not required to sift through every decision made during the game. The on-field referee is the only person tasked with making the decision, reducing the number of officials required for each game and keeping the pre-eminence of the referee.

The FVS system has already been used at the FIFA Youth Cup and the Women’s Under-20 World Cup earlier this year. However it looks like FIFA’s use of the new system will be limited.

The Athletic reports that the FVS is only being considered for competitions with limited cameras, where between one and four cameras are in operation. This is a stark contract to the Premier League, where the current VAR system typically uses upwards of 20 different camera angles.

FIFA has insisted that is has “no intention whatsoever of replacing the VAR system”, focusing instead on ”supporting the implementation of the VAR system, whenever possible”.

For all the frustrations with VAR, teams in England at least are content to stick with it for now. Back in June a vote of all 20 Premier League clubs went 19-1 in support of keeping VAR for the upcoming season. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers, the team who triggered the vote, supported the proposal.

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