Trials have taken place in Brazil, Kazakhstan and Poland
The English Football League and Women’s Super League have held discussions about introducing a ‘light version’ of a video assistant referee system (VAR) to help improve refereeing decision making.
Both parties have spoken with the game’s professional referees’ body, PGMOL, about a low-cost model of VAR. It is thought that it would be used in the Championship and WSL and would contain fewer cameras and no offside lines.
Currently, only Premier League teams can use the full version of VAR, with the technology also being used in the FA Cup, but only in matches played at Premier League grounds as the FA Cup is not licensed to use VAR across all its fixtures.
While a timescale has been yet been agreed on when the VAR system would be introduced into the two leagues, it would not be implemented for the 2023/2024 campaign.
Last year, football law-making body IFAB approved trials after FIFA presented two different options of a ‘VAR-light’. One system would use four to eight cameras, while the other would use three.
Trials have since taken place in Brazil, Kazakhstan and Poland, with other testing currently ongoing in France.
“VAR light” could be introduced in the Championship in two seasons time.
It wouldn’t include offside decisions and is seen as a low-cost alternative to VAR.
(Via: @thetimes) pic.twitter.com/2HG8mQSoAU
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) February 18, 2022
The Football Association’s women’s professional game director Kelly Simmons told the Times: “It is really critical that it comes in as soon as we can do it and can afford it.”
VAR has been heavily criticised since it was implemented in the Premier League, with several marginal decisions being overt-tuned by the system.
For example, supporters were left baffled and outraged when Liverpool awarded a controversial penalty in the closing stages of their game against Crystal Palace last month.
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