FIFA Plans a Comprehensive Overhaul of VAR System

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is seeking to develop an alternative system to VAR, aiming to replace it with a new system called “Football Video Support” (FVS). This new system will allow coaches to challenge referee decisions they believe to be incorrect, in a similar manner to the challenge system used in basketball. This development was reported by the French newspaper L’Équipe. According to the report, FIFA is seriously considering implementing this new system and hopes to secure approval from the council to continue testing it.

The proposed FVS system would grant coaches the right to challenge at least two referee decisions per game. It received approval in March by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and has been tested during the Under-17 and Under-20 Women’s World Cups.

Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Head of Refereeing and a former referee, stated, “The trials in these two tournaments will be closely analyzed, and so far, we have not observed any unexpected issues.” Collina explained that FVS is not a complete replacement for VAR due to the limited number of cameras used in the new system, which restricts its ability to show the range of angles available with VAR.

FIFA is set to present a report to the council, which will decide whether to expand the trial. Several leagues have already expressed interest in participating, though none have been officially named yet.

It is likely that Arsenal’s coach, Mikel Arteta, will be a strong supporter of this system after his team faced several controversial decisions this season. Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were both issued red cards for what referees deemed time-wasting by kicking the ball, while similar actions in other games went unpunished. Additionally, William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth sparked widespread criticism from Arsenal fans.

While some teams may welcome a challenge system for decisions, others argue it might be better to abolish VAR entirely.