No fast-forward for the video ref
VIDEO technology in football passed its most high- profile test yet in Tuesday night’ s match between France and spain.
The revolutionary technology was praised after a goal was correctly ruled out and another awarded in the friendly at the stade de France.
But despite the success in the international, it will not be rolled out in the Premier League until the start of the 2018-19 season at the earliest.
The referrals ensured Antoine Griezmann’s goal for France was rightly cancelled out for offside and Gerard Deulofeu’s strike for spain was correctly given, having originally been ruled out.
The second decision took 40 seconds to make, showing that referrals to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will not overly disrupt the flow of matches.
VARs will be introduced from the third round of next season’s FA Cup with an extra official in a TV truck watching the match on monitors and ready to communicate with the on-field referee if he makes a clear mistake.
The referee can either accept the information from the VAR and change or confirm the decision he has already made, or ask to review the footage. The VAR can be used to review four aspects: goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity.
EFL chief executive shaun Harvey has also suggested that VAR technology could be used in next season’s EFL Cup.
He said yesterday: ‘As part of a trial the board will consider allowing the EFL Cup to be utilised. Theoretically it could happen from the first round of the EFL Cup.’
While it will not be seen in the Premier League until the 2018-19 season at the earliest, video technology will be introduced in the Bundesliga from the start of next season. The German FA wants both current and retired referees to be trained as video assistants.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is also keen for it to be in place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Technology has now been successfully used in a number of international friendlies, the FIFA Club World Cup and America’s United soccer League.