The World Cup gets underway this weekend, and whether you’re a fan of it or not, VAR will once again take centre-stage, with semi-automated offside technology to be in use in Qatar.
Video Assistant Referee technology became a significant point of conversation at the 2018 World Cup, with the tournament proving to be the catalyst for its widespread implementation across European football.
But while it was a largely successful introduction, there were still a number of controversial incidents that left the fans enraged – perhaps none more so than France’s crucial penalty, converted by Antoine Griezmann, in their 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.
Referee Nestor Pitana spent several minutes in front of the VAR screen following a clearly accidental handball from Ivan Perisic – and, to the surprise of many watching on, he eventually penalised the Croatian. Roy Keane, as you can probably imagine, called the decision ‘disgusting’.
Four years later, and VAR is just as controversial as ever, with fans still left exasperated by the length of time it takes to make a decision. There is often a lack of clarity regarding the decision itself. And, more importantly, the final decision is still not always the correct one.
However, having hailed its use at the 2018 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes further improvements will be on show in the coming weeks. Sportsmail breaks down just how it will work below.
The World Cup will follow the Champions League by implementing a semi-automated offside system at the impending tournament.
FIFA insist those in the stadium and those watching from elsewhere will be informed regarding the review process, the outcome of the review and why that decision has been reached.
