VAR For The League Is Ready, Just Educate Football Stakeholders

VAR for competitions in Indonesia has been prepared (VOI/Ferry Tri Adi Sasono).

PSSI and PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) are preparing a video assistant referee (VAR) to be used in Indonesian competitions.

A number of preparations have been made since June 2023, starting from installations, human resource training (HR), to match simulations.

PSSI and PT LIB call all VAR equipment exactly the same as what was used at the 2023 U-17 World Cup in Indonesia. All VAR needs are supplied by Hawk-Eye Innovation which is in partnership with federations and operators.

Now, VAR implementation testing is just waiting for FIFA to arrive in early March 2024. FIFA will also approve whether this VAR can be tested in official matches or not.

In addition to finalizing the implementation of VAR, PSSI and PT LIB also have other homework that is no less important, namely educating football stakeholders, from coaches, players, to supporters.

"We need to share together to educate all those involved in football, such as players, coaches, and spectators," said Asep Saputra, Operations Director of PT LIB as well as Project Leader VAR.

Education is important considering that not all events in a football match can be intervened through VAR.

"There are things that can indeed be included in VAR interventions, there are also things that cannot be included in VAR interventions. Well, maybe media friends from this side should both educate the public, tell them what, which is called incidents that can be included in VAR interventions and which don't."

"If we don't understand each other, there must be a VAR for a while, in a while there must be a VAR, that's even more serious. Later it won't be playing football," said Ratu Thasha Destria, Deputy Chairperson of PSSI.

VAR intervention can only be carried out on certain incidents. There were four incidents that were included in the VAR review.

The four incidents include scoring goals or not, penalties or not, possibly direct red cards or not, and identity errors or not.

"If we look at the VAR protocol, there are only four actual events (which can be reviewed). The main referee can review the VAR only specifically for the four incidents."

"Four (incidents) are actually in basic principles that VAR checks can be carried out. Of course, we must prepare the socialization of Project Team VAR, PSSI, and PT LIB," said Asep Saputra.

The issue of socialization, federation and competition operators plans to increase the intensity considering that VAR is ready and just have to undergo a test from FIFA and approval for a trial first.

"Certainly (socialization) already has protocols for competition. Every time before the competition there will also be socialization."

"This time we will definitely be intense about socialization. So, the target must be players, coaches, officials, and management. Our members first."

"Then, it will definitely be fans and others, there must be special sessions as well (socialization)," said Ratu Thasha.

So far, PSSI and PT LIB have planned a VAR trial in an official match in May 2024. The schedule is in accordance with the agenda made since the beginning of VAR preparation.

The plan is for the trial to be held during the 2023/2024 League 1 championship series. In addition, there are plans to also test it at the Elite Pro Academy.