Soccer-IFAB agrees extension of VAR broadcast trial

A trial to broadcast the VAR decisions to fans inside stadiums and television audiences was confirmed by soccer’s law-making body the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its annual meeting in London on Saturday.

The trial was introduced at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco last year and will continue at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May to June 2023.

VAR decisions often take several minutes to be decided, leaving players and fans in limbo and unsure of exactly what methodology is being applied by officials.

A decision will then be made as to whether the trial will be continued at other FIFA tournaments later this year.

The AGM, chaired by Football Association chairman Debbie Hewitt, also gave updates on the successful application of semi-automated offside decisions and VAR ‘light’ — a simplified system that would be more accessible across all levels.

It was also agreed that a more accurate calculation for ‘additional time’ at the end of matches — a notable feature of last year’s World Cup in Qatar, should be followed in competitions around the world. Reuters