Insta
Keiran Gibbs being wrongly red carded following a case of mistaken identity (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
After initial disagreements, Video Assistant Referees (VAR) are all set to be used in the Premier League from the next season, after the clubs agreed in principle for their introduction.
The Premier League board will now be making a formal request to the International Football Association Board and FIFA board regarding its introduction.
The VAR is currently in use in Seria A, La Liga and Bundesliga and was used in the 2018 World Cup. This technology has also been used in a few FA Cup and Carabao Cup games.
However, the Premier League has been carrying out "non-live" trials this season and VAR will also be put to use in the Champions League from the 2019-20 season.
After earning a draw last week thanks to bad refereeing decisions, Southampton manager Mark Hughes said, "All major sports have video reviews and for some reason the Premier League, which is watched across the world, is still in the dark ages." as reported by BBC Sport.
In regard to VAR’s introduction, the clubs were given an update at a meeting on Thursday (15 November) and in a statement released by the Premier League, it said that the non-live testing would continue for the remaining season "with a continued emphasis on those Saturday afternoons which have several matches being played concurrently". The concern as to how the decision made by the VAR would be communicated to the fans in the stadium will also be addressed.
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live Afternoon Edition said, “The referees will still want to go out and get the key match decisions right, it's very important that referees are not hiding behind the VAR - they've still going to be making these big calls correctly”.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest