FIFA is preparing a revolution. Coaches will be able to appeal the referees’ decisions

The main football body FIFA is hoping to get permission from the IFAB organization to conduct trials of the FVS football video support system, which is an alternative to VAR and gives coaches the right to challenge referees’ decisions.

This system has already been used during the U20 and U17 Women’s World Championships. FIFA hopes to be able to launch the use of this system in other competitions.

Former FIFA referee Pierluigi Collina commented on what can be expected from the implementation of this system.

“It is important to be clear that FVS is not VAR, especially in terms of expectations. It can be implemented in leagues with limited resources, where no more than four cameras are used for broadcasting. Due to the limited number of cameras, FVS will not be able to provide the same capabilities as VAR. For example, in the case of offside, without properly positioned cameras, only obvious offsides will be detected. Therefore, the referee’s decision on the field remains very important,” Collina commented.

FVS assumes that the coach initiates the viewing of the episode, after which the referee independently watches the video on a special monitor near the field. Unlike VAR, in this case there is no group of video assistants who select the right shots. It is up to the arbitrator to decide whether his initial assessment was correct, without prior notification of an obvious error.

FIFA hopes to expand trials of VAR-style coach challenges https://t.co/CVIri4E13V

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 12, 2024