They’ve approved it. Wait, no, wait, have they? Hold on a second. They’re having a discussion. Okay, yes, they have.
The video assistant referee system, otherwise known as VAR, will be used at this summer’s World Cup in Russia after being unanimously approved by International Football Association Board, the international body which governs the rules of football.
After a meeting in Zurich today, IFAB approved the use of VAR on a permanent basis after reviewing evidence on its use since the beginning of what they call the “VAR experiment” in 2016.
In what is probably the most decisive decision ever made when it comes to VAR, the agreement will see the system used in relation to goal, penalties, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity.
⚽ HISTORIC DECISION: The IFAB`s General Assembly has just approved Video Assistant Referees to be used on a permanent basis. The VAR system has been trialled over the past two years in almost 1,000 football matches.
Read more about the news of the day! https://t.co/emKL8IMSiR pic.twitter.com/PZGni2qQkT
— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) March 3, 2018
This all sounds very straightforward, that is of course if you’ve never seen VAR in action. If you have, you’d be forgiven for expecting a summer filled with hands being gestured in the shape of a TV, minute after minute of referees holding their fingers against their ears and moments of pure confusion as thousands of fans silently wait for a decision to be made.
On a slightly more positive note, IFAB also adjudicated that teams will now be allowed to make an additional substitution in extra-time, all of which almost guarantees that a 113th minute substitute will score the winning goal in this summer’s final, before having it ruled out because their teammate’s nostril hair was interfering with play.
