IFAB Will Trial FVS, Allowing Trainers To Challenge VAR Decree

JAKARTA - The International Football Association (IFAB) on Monday, December 2, 2024, approved the expansion of the Football Video Support (FVS) trial, an alternative VAR system that gives coaches the opportunity to challenge decisions.

FVS, which was used at this year's FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women's World Cups, was initially given the green light for testing by IFAB in March 2024 as a cost-effective alternative to VAR.

Pierluigi Collina, Chair of the FIFA Referee Committee, told ESPN last month that he would apply for an IFAB Annual Business Meeting (ABM) in London to conduct trials in more competitions.

Instead of being supervised and controlled by only an official acting as Assistant for the Video Referee (VAR), the FVS gives the coach the opportunity to make up two challenges per game if they feel a mistake has occurred.

Currently, the challenging system is only aimed at being used in leagues with fewer resources, ideally with no more than four cameras, than the top division like the Premier League.

It can be used in competitions like the Women's Super League, which has problems using VAR because the sizes and types of stadiums used are very diverse.

"We have just started trials and experiences at the U-20 and U-17 FIFA Women's World Cups will be carefully analyzed. However, so far, we haven't seen anything unexpected," Collina told ESPN.

"Several FIFA member associations have shown interest in participating in this trial."

"Confirming that FVS is not VAR is not very important, especially in terms of expectations. Due to the limited number of cameras, FVS will not be able to show what VAR can show."

"Offside, for example, without a properly positioned camera, only a clear offside can be seen. This makes decisions on the ground also important."

"FVS is designed to work with limited camera settings, ideally four to five (cameras)."

"With more cameras, the process of checking all available records and angles can take a very long time."

"The problem is, different from VAR, there are no video match officers who choose the clip to be seen by the referee," said Collina again.

With the FVS, the coach put up a challenge against the decision and the referee then went to the side of the pitch to see the incident's replay.

Unlike VAR, there are only replay operators who signal on the video. The match referee then judged his own decision and was not informed that he had made a clear and real mistake before.

IFAB was also given an update for a trial of discussing goalkeepers who were holding the ball for too long and saw opponents being given corner kicks or throws into (two separate trials) if they were detained for more than eight seconds after they had clear control.

Premier League 2, competition for 25 clubs with the academy "Category One", has been part of this trial.

Another discussion is a trial that only allows the captain to talk to the referee.

Then, trials involving public announcements following VAR checks and a long VAR review, developments related to semi-automatic offside technology, and the use of referee's body cameras.

The IFAB Annual General Meeting on March 1, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, will make its next decision regarding this trial.

The meeting also confirmed any amendments to the regulations, which will take effect from July 2025.