Refs urged to take time for video review

MOSCOW: World Cup referees must ensure all the time used for video review is played at the end of each half — even if a stoppage takes 10 minutes.

Fifa’s instructions to more than 100 match officials in Russia were outlined on Tuesday, two days ahead of the often-contentious technology making its World Cup debut.

“All the minutes, all the seconds, lost by VAR [video assistant referees] will be added at the end,’’ Massimo Busacca, Fifa head of refereeing, said at a news conference. “We don’t want to lose any seconds lost by any interruption.’’

The process for reviewing one of the most complex incidents that can be reviewed — a running confrontation involving all players — will take as long as needed.

“We will take all the possible time to see if there is a clear red card,’’ said Busacca, who was a 2010 World Cup referee. “When it is related to match confrontation and not respecting the i mage [of football], we can even stay 10 minutes at the video to see exactly what happened.’’

The first referee in the spotlight is Nestor Pitana of Argentina, who handles the Russia-Saudi Arabia match in Moscow tonight.

Fifa picked Pitana for duty, with Massimiliano Irrati of Italy leading a four-man video review team. They will work at a Fifa control centre in the Moscow suburbs, several miles from the Luzhniki Stadium.

Referees can call for reviews of possible clear errors and serious incidents missed in game-changing situations: goals scored, red cards, and penalty awards, plus mistaken identity.

Fifa’s advice could lead to more decisions reviewed — and potentially overturned — having asked officials to let play flow and keep the option of a later review.

“He is respecting the instructions that were given to him on purpose by keeping the flag down,” said Pierluigi Collina, chairman of Fifa’s referees committee. “If he puts a flag up, everything is finished.”

Video review still has doubters after a first full season in top leagues such as Germany’s Bundesliga, which opted to use the technology.

Teams and fans have been angered by some slow and confusing decision-making process, repeating problems seen in Russia at Fifa’s Confederations Cup warm-up tournament last year.

“It is ready for the World Cup but don’t think it will be perfect,” said Busacca of a system that has been tested since 2016 and formally approved only in March.