Media playback is not supported on this device Football Focus: I was for VAR but now I'm going the opposite way - Murphy

Video assistant referees are set to be used at this year's World Cup in Russia after football's lawmakers voted to approve the technology.

VAR has been trialled in some domestic English cup games this season, and has been used in Germany and Italy.

The International Football Association Board (Ifab) "unanimously approved" its introduction on a permanent basis after a meeting in Zurich on Saturday.

Leagues and competitions must now apply to Ifab to implement the system.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said a decision on whether VAR would be used at the World Cup will be taken at a meeting on 16 March.

"As of today, video assistant refereeing is part of football," he said.

"We hope and encourage a favourable decision in this respect because we are very positive about VAR."

One of the concerns over VAR is that those watching are uncertain about what is going on, but Fifa says it is working on a system that will provide information to the "giant screen operators as well as broadcasters and commentators" about the reason and outcome of a review.

"What is our idea (for the World Cup) is that after the final decision is taken by the referee on the pitch we would like to show in the stadium the selected replay that was used by the referee and VAR," said Johannes Holzmuller, head of Fifa football technology innovation.

Media playback is not supported on this device How does VAR work?

'It's almost perfect'

Ifab is made up of world governing body Fifa and the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Each FA has one vote to Fifa's four, with six votes required for a change in the laws.

Saturday's decision was made after Ifab was presented with the results of independent analysis conducted by Belgian university KU Leuven.

"I would say to the fans, players and coaches that it will have an impact, a positive impact," said Infantino. "That is what the results of the study show.

"From almost 1,000 live matches that were part of the experiment, the level of the accuracy increased from 93% to 99%. It's almost perfect."

Infantino says he was "pretty much against" the system until he "studied it".

"We have looked into all the details and benefits it can bring," he said.

"Of course, we need to speed up the reviews and the communication to the referees that are applying it but also for the general public."

The Premier League is not expected to introduce VAR next season, and Uefa has already said it will not be used in the Champions League next season.

France's Ligue 1 is to introduce it from next season, while the Bundesliga will decide on 22 March whether to use VAR.

"In all my discussions with people in the Premier League, they can all see benefit of VAR," said Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn.

"If they do choose to not implement it then it won't be a fundamental rejection of VAR - it will be a case of giving it more time."

Ifab has also approved allowing teams to use an "additional" substitute in extra time of matches.

Media playback is not supported on this device Sam Allardyce - VAR not being used properly

'Minimum interference - maximum benefit'

Ifab said the "philosophy" of VARs is "minimum interference - maximum benefit" with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents".

It added the incidents that referred to would be in relation to:

Goal/no goal

Penalty/no penalty

Direct red card (not second yellow card/caution)

Mistaken identity (when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player)

VAR was first used at the Club World Cup in December 2016, and trialled in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

The system was described as "comical" and "embarrassing" after Tottenham's 6-1 FA Cup win over Rochdale on Wednesday, when a goal was disallowed and a converted penalty overturned.

Any domestic league or competition would have to adopt VAR protocols for every game.

On Friday, the Premier League it was "monitoring closely the video assistant referee trials being conducted in other competitions".

It added: "The evidence and learning provided by those trials will inform further discussions with our clubs later this season."

Catch me up hide

'Greater fairness with the occasional interruption'

Ifab technical director David Elleray, a former Premier League referee, said 40 countries are using, trialling or interested in VAR technology.

Speaking before Saturday's Ifab decision, he told BBC Sport: "Football has to decide does it want to use a system which will bring in greater accuracy and fairness, albeit with some delay occasionally.

"Or do they want to stay where they are, where the fans are complaining that something is clearly wrong, everybody watching on television can see it was wrong, everybody in the stadium can see on their mobile phones that it was wrong, but the one person who needed to see the replay wasn't allowed to look at the replay?

"People have to decide do they want greater fairness or do they want continued unfairness because they don't want to occasional interruption?"

Infantino defended the time taken by the VAR to review decisions.

"Let's look at the facts," he said. "We've analysed almost 1,000 games and the reality is you lose an average of 90 seconds per game. Is that too long? Perhaps.

"But we lose an average of seven minutes per game due to throw-ins. If we lose seven minutes on throw-ins, we can lose 90 seconds to get decisions right."

Media playback is not supported on this device FA Cup: Mata's goal ruled out by VAR at Huddersfield in the FA Cup fifth round

VAR - for and against

For: better decision-making

Technology increased the accuracy of decisions that can be reviewed from 93% to 98.9%, according to figures from the trial released by Ifab in January.

Former Australia and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said: "Human error will still occur with VAR - other sports have shown that - but it dramatically reduces the number of errors.

"If we can limit the errors and get the game flowing as much as we can... to lose some fluency is worth it to get more of the decisions right."

Ifab figures released in January 2018

Against: delays and confusion

Tottenham's win over Rochdale was dominated by VAR controversies. Fans booed as the half-time whistle was blown after five minutes were added on for video review delays.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said: "The first half was a little bit embarrassing for everyone. I am not sure that system is going to help.

"Football is about emotion. If we are going to kill emotion, it's not so happy what we have seen. My opinion is we have the best referees in Europe. The referee is the boss on the pitch and has the last word always."

Elleray said he cannot see a good reason for football to not use VAR in all matches.

"It's difficult for people to argue that if you've got a system which fairly efficiently can correct clear and obvious errors which affect the outcome of matches that we shouldn't use that," he said.

"Is it really right that football is the only major sport that doesn't assist its referees by using technology?

"Our crucial challenge is to do it in a way that is has a minimal impact on the game."

VARs have been used in this season's FA Cup competition - including 14 times at Wembley on Wednesday

What has happened in England?

VAR technology has been used in 13 competitive matches - three in the Carabao Cup and 10 in the FA Cup.

Six decisions have been reversed - all in FA Cup matches:

16 January - Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho had a goal disallowed in the win over Fleetwood for offside, but it was then awarded after a VAR review.

27 January - In West Brom's victory at Liverpool, the referee and VAR consulted to rule out a goal for Albion's Craig Dawson for offside, and a penalty was awarded to Liverpool - which they missed - after the referee consulted the pitch-side TV monitor.

17 February - Juan Mata's goal in Manchester United's win at Huddersfield was disallowed for offside.

28 February - Erik Lamela's goal for Spurs was ruled out for a foul. Later, Tottenham were awarded a free-kick outside the penalty area, only for a spot-kick to be given after another VAR ruling. The penalty was converted but disallowed after Son Heung-min was adjudged to have stopped in his run-up before shooting.

A total of 14 incidents were assessed during the Tottenham match, including the two reviews, although officials say there has been an average of around eight per game in England.

What has been the reaction elsewhere?

Germany and Italy introduced VAR across their top leagues this season.

In the Bundesliga, poor application, delays and technical problems led to 47% of players wanting to abolish the system, according to a survey published in Kicker magazine in January.

Figures from the German league show VAR has been used in 216 matches. Decisions have been overturned on 46 occasions, but 11 were later found to be incorrect.

Gazzetta dello Sport described a "black Sunday for referees and VAR" after a series of controversies in Italy's Serie A.

But decisions which have been changed on video review could soon be shown on giant screens in Italian stadiums, offering fans more clarity.

The project's boss has said bookings for protests and unsporting behaviour had dropped since the system was introduced.

However, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said it will not be used in the Champions League next season.

"It might be a good project but we shouldn't rush it," he said.</s>International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved the use of the controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to help referees make decisions.

"The International Football Association Board unanimously approved the use of video assistant referees at its 132nd Annual general meeting," IFAB said in a statement.

"This landmark meeting...represents a new era for football."

According to IFAB, VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards or mistaken identity.

The decision opens the way for FIFA to use it at the World Cup in Russia in June and July.

However, critics say VAR has led to confusion, players and coaches have complained of referees being too eager to defer to technology, while fans in stadiums have been left in the dark as to why decisions are being made.

The implementation of the VAR system has also been backed by FIFA's top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.

"We came to the conclusion that VAR is good for football", Infantino told reporters shortly after IFAB announced the decision.

"We will hope and encourage the council to take a favourable decision," Infantino said, voicing confidence that VAR will secure final approval.

IFAB said in a press release that the decision "represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase fairness in the game".

Video replays set to be used At The FIFA 2018 World Cup Finals

A trained referee with access to a video monitor, and in constant communication with the main match official, checks all such decisions.

If a "clear and obvious" mistake is spotted, the incident can be reviewed and changed. The referee, who has access to a pitchside monitor, can also initiate a review himself.</s>Video assistant referees are set to be used at this year’s World Cup in Russia after football’s lawmakers voted to approve the technology.

VAR has been trialled in some domestic English cup games this season, and has been used in Germany and Italy.

The International Football Association Board (Ifab) “unanimously approved” its introduction on a permanent basis after a meeting in Zurich on Saturday.

Leagues and competitions must now apply to Ifab to implement the technology.

Ifab said “the philosophy of VARs is ‘minimum interference – maximum benefit’ which aims to reduce unfairness caused by ‘clear and obvious errors’ or ‘serious missed incidents'”.

It added the incidents that would refer to would be in relation to:

1. Goal/no goal

 2. Penalty/no penalty

 3. Direct red card (not second yellow card/caution)

 4. Mistaken identity (when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player)</s>The International Football Association Board on Saturday approved the use of Video Assistant Referee technology during the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The IFAB took the decision during its 132nd Annual General Meeting held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, which was attended by the international federation's president, Gianni Infantino.</s>After two years of testing, nearly 1,000 matches and over 20 different competitions, the International Football Association Board has approved video assistant referees to be used on a permanent basis, with FIFA on the verge of deciding if VAR will be used at the 2018 World Cup this summer.

Heres' what to know:

Video assistant referee is an assistant that reviews decisions made by the officials to ensure accuracy by confirming decisions or overturning potential decisions. The point is to interfere little but maximize the benefit of the decisions, which are aimed to reduce unfairness caused by clear errors in relation to goals or no goals, penalty or no penalty, direct red cards or mistaken identity (when the wrong player is cautioned).

IFAB, the body that determines the laws of the sport, approved VAR to be used permanently in the sport around the world. Associations have to then apply to have VAR implemented, but this basically allows it to be a possibility for leagues and cups. It's the permission needed to add it.

So there will be VAR at the World Cup?



It's not definitive, but it's very likely. The expectation is for there to be VAR at the 2018 World Cup. We saw it used at the Confederations Cup this past summer in Russia, and that was one of the testing competitions. It still must be approved by FIFA.

When will we know?

The next FIFA council meeting will be on March 16 in Bogota, Colombia, and that is when a decision will be made. It's really a formality at this point, and the expectation is for confirmation to officially come in less than two weeks.</s>The use of video replays to help referees make key decisions was approved by soccer's rule-making body IFAB on Saturday, opening the way for the system to be used at this year's World Cup.

 

 Soccer's world governing body FIFA has said the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be used at the World Cup in Russia if approved, while its European counterpart has said it will not be deployed in next season's Champions League.

 

 Critics say VAR has led to confusion in competitions where it has been used, especially for spectators in stadiums who are often unaware that a decision is being reviewed.

 

 The International Football Association Board (IFAB) statement described the move as an "historic step for greater fairness in football."

 

 According to IFAB protocols, VAR should only be used in four key cases: goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

 

 A trained referee with access to a video monitor, and in constant communication with the main match official, checks all such decisions.

 

 If a "clear and obvious" mistake is spotted, the incident can be reviewed and changed. The referee, who has access to a pitchside monitor, can also initiate a review himself.

 

 The implementation of the VAR system has been one of FIFA president Gianni Infantino's main projects since he was elected in February 2016.

"As of today, video assistant referees are part of football and this is certainly very important news," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who chaired the meeting.

The VAR trials in England have thrown up a number of controversies, with particular criticism over how long decisions take and the fact the crowds are not kept informed as to what is going on.

 

 The system was labelled "embarrassing" by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino earlier this week after his team's FA Cup fifth-round replay against Rochdale was delayed several times by VAR interventions.

 

 Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn acknowledged: "Communication to the crowd has to be better because people aren't really sure what's going on."

 

 He continued: "I'm not going to ignore the criticism, but I think we have to put things into context - it's only been 10 games... FA Cup games, some EFL Cup games.

"We need more games until we get the sort of quality we see in Italy, Germany, Portugal, but we will."

 

 Infantino added: "We can see in the matches, where the game is being interrupted, this creates even an additional moment of tension where everyone is waiting.

 

 "But at the end of the day, what is more important for us is that we can help the referee to take the right decision. We bring more fairness in the game with this.

"One clear mistake that the referee does every three games... we can limit this to once every 19 games. That must be the main objective."</s>IN one of the most fundamental changes ever to soccer’s 155-year- old rules, FIFA approved video review on Saturday and cleared the way to use it at the World Cup in June.

World football’s panel overseeing the laws of the game voted to add video assistant referees (VAR) despite mixed results from trials in top-level games. The panel, known as IFAB, voted unanimously to begin updating the game’s written rules to include VAR and let competition organizers ask to adopt it - with FIFA next in line this month.

The decision “represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase integrity and fairness in the game,” IFAB said in a statement.

FIFA must take a further decision on using VAR at the World Cup in Russia, which kicks off June 14.

That should be on March 16 when the FIFA Council chaired by President Gianni Infantino meets in Bogota, Colombia.

Infantino has long said World Cup referees must get high-tech help to review key decisions at the 64-game tournament.

Video review can overturn “clear and obvious errors” and “serious missed incidents” by match officials involving goals, penalty awards, red cards, and mistaken identity.

Still, Infantino also acknowledged on Saturday the VAR system “is not perfect.” In 18 months of trials worldwide, reviews have been slower than promised and communication is often unclear in the stadium.

“VAR at the World Cup will certainly help to have a fairer World Cup,” Infantino said at a news conference after the IFAB meeting. “If there is a big mistake, it will be corrected.” Infantino said FIFA must have “the ambition to get close to perfection” even if some coaches, players and fans were not yet convinced by video review. VAR has often created confusion in the first full season of live trials which now include more than 1,000 games worldwide. Top-tier competitions which opted to use it include Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.

Several games at the 2017 Confederations Cup, FIFA’s World Cup warm-up tournament in Russia, also left many in the stadium unsure what match officials were doing. Communication was unclear during reviews lasting minutes instead of a handful of seconds, which was the target suggested in 2016 when the protocol for using VAR was shaped and trials began.

“We have to speed up reviews,” the CEO of England’s Football Association, Martin Glenn, acknowledged after taking part in the decision. “Communications to the crowd has to be better. People in the crowd aren’t sure what is happening.” UEFA has already ruled out using VAR in the Champions League next season, and the English Premier League is also waiting to see if the system can prove itself essential.

Still, the International Football Association Board’s approval was expected on Saturday because FIFA controls four of the eight votes. The four British soccer associations, which created IFAB in 1886, have one vote each, and six are needed to approve an idea.

FIFA’s historical reluctance to embrace technological help for referees changed at the 2010 World Cup, after an England goal was not given despite Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossing the German goal-line. Germany went on to win the last 16 game 4-1.

At the 2014 World Cup, FIFA deployed goal-line technology. Referees were alerted with a simple yes-no signal to their watches after multiple camera angles judged if the ball crossed the line. Goal-line systems are used at UEFA’s European Championship and in the Premier League.

The potential use of video review was first announced on the eve of the World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA’s then-president, Sepp Blatter, surprised IFAB officials in Sao Paulo by suggesting coaches could call on video replays to challenge some refereeing decisions.

The landmark decision leaves much yet to be finalized, such as wording for the amended rules and an exact protocol for operating the system including how to communicate to fans using giant screens inside stadiums.

FIFA must also choose technology providers with around 15 involved in trials and workshops at Zurich. It is also seeking a sponsor for video review at the World Cup.

In Russia, FIFA plans to use a central command center for VAR teams working away from stadiums to communicate with referees - a system adopted by American professional sports leagues.

Also on Saturday, the IFAB panel used evidence from two years of trials to approve teams using a fourth substitute during the 30 minutes of extra time in knockout games. Teams can even use all four replacements in the extra periods if no changes were made in regulation time.</s>Football’s lawmakers on Saturday approved video assistant referee technology (VAR) for this summer’s World Cup, in one of the biggest changes to the sport in years.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB, meeting in Zurich, rubber-stamped a move already backed by FIFA’s top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.

“We came to the conclusion that VAR is good for football”, Infantino told reporters shortly after IFAB announced the decision.

He added that the final decision to use the technology at the World Cup in Russia will be made when the FIFA Council – world football’s top decision-making body – meets in Colombia later this month.

“We will hope and encourage the council to take a favourable decision,” Infantino said, voicing confidence that VAR will secure final approval.

IFAB said in a press release that the decision “represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase fairness in the game”.

VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards or mistaken identity.

It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A – along with tests in multiple other leagues.

Spain’s La Liga on Friday began training officials ahead of the technology’s expected introduction next season.

But opinion is still divided, players and managers have complained of referees being too eager to defer to technology, while fans in stadiums have been left in the dark as to why decisions are being made.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football’s governing body would not introduce VAR in next season’s Champions League due to ongoing “confusion” surrounding its use.

Others have voiced concern about video assistance slowing down the game and possibly breaking a team’s momentum.

That is an issue confronting major North American sports like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years leading to renewed calls to shorten the length of games.

Some sceptics also have reservations about implementing such a significant change at the World Cup, before all the kinks have been resolved at lower-profile competition.

But the desire to avoid disputed calls – especially in a competition with such a large global audience – tipped international football officials to support using VAR at this summer’s tournament in Russia.

One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup.

For Infantino, international football had to ensure World Cup officials have access to same images as fans.

“In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee”, he said last month.

“So if we can help the referee then we should do it,” he added.

Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament.

“This is the new life. This is modern life,” said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz.

“It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world.”</s>The use of video replays to help referees make key decisions has been approved by football’s Zurich-based rule-making body IFAB, opening the way for the system to be used at this year’s World Cup.

Football’s world governing body FIFAexternal link, also based in Zurich, has said the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be used at the World Cup in Russia if approved, while its European counterpart UEFA, based in Nyon, has said it will not be deployed in next season’s Champions League.

Critics say VAR has led to confusion in competitions where it has been used, especially for spectators in stadiums who are often unaware that a decision is being reviewed.

The International Football Association Boardexternal link (IFAB) statement on Saturday described the move as a “historic step for greater fairness in football”.

According to IFAB protocols, VAR should only be used in four key cases: goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

A trained referee with access to a video monitor, and in constant communication with the main match official, checks all such decisions.

If a “clear and obvious” mistake is spotted, the incident can be reviewed and changed. The referee, who has access to a pitchside monitor, can also initiate a review himself.

The implementation of the VAR system has been one of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s main projects since he was elected in February 2016.

The 2018 World Cupexternal link kicks off in Moscow on June 14.</s>Football’s lawmakers on Saturday approved video assistant referee technology (VAR) for this summer’s World Cup, in one of the biggest changes to the sport in years.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB, meeting in Zurich, rubber-stamped a move already backed by FIFA’s top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.

“We came to the conclusion that VAR is good for football”, Infantino told reporters shortly after IFAB announced the decision.

READ | Mauricio Pochettino takes dig at Arsene Wenger, says will quit if fans turn on him

He added that the final decision to use the technology at the World Cup in Russia will be made when the FIFA Council -- world football’s top decision-making body -- meets in Colombia on March 15 and 16.

“We will hope and encourage the council to take a favourable decision,” Infantino said, voicing confidence that VAR will secure final approval.

IFAB said in a press release that the decision “represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase fairness in the game”.

VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards or mistaken identity.

It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.

Spain’s La Liga on Friday began training officials ahead of the technology’s expected introduction next season.

But opinion is still divided.

Players and managers have complained of referees being too eager to defer to technology, while fans in stadiums have been left in the dark as to why decisions are being made.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football’s governing body would not introduce VAR in next season’s Champions League due to ongoing “confusion” surrounding its use.

Infantino conceded that he too was once a sceptic.

“I was pretty much against it a couple of years ago and I changed my mind because I studied it,” he said.

He pointed to IFAB research from 1,000 matches showing that referee accuracy without VAR -- which stood at 93 percent -- rose to 99 percent with video assistance.

READ | VAR must be reliable, says Jose Mourinho despite Manchester United’s FA Cup win

With VAR, referee decision-making was “almost perfect”, Infantino said.

Others have voiced concern about video assistance slowing down the game, possibly breaking a team’s momentum or diminishing fan experience by forcing people to abruptly halt a celebration while a goal is reviewed.

Infantino said that rather than ruining celebrations, VAR will create “an additional moment of tension”.

The Football Association’s chief executive Martin Glenn, seated next to Infantino, conceded that improvements were needed.

That includes better communication with fans while reviews were ongoing and a better definition of what constitutes a “clear and obvious error” that justifies a VAR review, Glenn said.

Asked about reported hostility towards video review with the Premier League, Glenn said he believed English clubs understood the benefits of VAR “conceptually” and that its implementation was may only a matter of time.

Some sceptics also have reservations about introducing such a significant change at the World Cup, before all the kinks have been resolved at lower-profile competition.

“I can guarantee the referees that will be at the World Cup will be ready”, Infantino pledged.

Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA’s referee committee, noted that the governing body had been preparing for more than a year to use VAR at the 2018 World Cup even though the decision has not been made.

“FIFA is not going to start tomorrow”, he told reporters. “We already started in December 2016”.

For Infantino, the overriding objective was to ensure that referees are able to make the right calls, especially in an era when many fans have access to a full range of replays on their smartphones.

“At the end of the day what is... important for us is that we can help the referee to take the right decision”, he said.
The International Football Association Board, which sets the rules for association football, approves the use of video assistant referees, which will be used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.