VAR approved by football lawmakers at FIFA headquarters

Football lawmakers have approved the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) on a permanent basis, following a two-year trial period.

The International Football Association Board, IFAB, reached a unanimous agreement at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Saturday morning.

VAR has been trialled in some FA Cup and Carabao Cup games this season, but following Saturday’s ruling all competitions in world football can now use VAR without permission.

Following the announcement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the decision on whether to use VAR in this summer’s World Cup will be made when the council meets in Bogota, Colombia on March 16.

Infantino urged FIFA council members to back the technology for the World Cup: “Of course it will have an impact on the World Cup and on the matches, and it will have a positive impact on the matches, this is what the studies show.

“It’s almost perfect. Perfection in our world does not exist, but VAR certainly gets us closer. I was extremely sceptical personally on VAR, but we tested it, and I personally came quite a long way.

“I can guarantee our referees which will be at the World Cup will be ready. They have trained for the last two years.”

It is understood Premier League clubs will discuss VAR technology next month and are yet to decide whether to use the new system.

A Premier League statement read: “We are open to considering new technology that assists match officials without disrupting the flow of the game, and are monitoring closely the Video Assistant Referee trials being conducted in other competitions.

“The evidence and learning provided by those trials will inform further discussions with our clubs later this season.”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says VAR will not be used in the Champions League next season.

Summary of VAR experiment results (IFAB)

VAR used in 804 competitive matches in more than 20 national associations and competitions
56.9% of VAR used for penalty incidents and goals
Average of fewer than five checks per match
68.8% of matches had no review
Decision accuracy with VAR is 98.9%
Median VAR check time is 20 seconds
For decisions based on head-set communication from the VAR, the median time was 39 seconds
When there is an on-field review, the median time was 70 seconds
Average of 1 clear and obvious error every 3 matches