Soccer’s lawmakers are reportedly considering extending the powers of video assistant referees (VAR), a move which would ensure that the influence of the sport’s most divisive decision-makers falls under even more scrutiny.
When VAR was introduced ahead of the 2018 World Cup, it was given the specifically vague brief of only ruling on “clear and obvious” errors in relation to:
Goal/no goalPenalty/no penaltyDirect red cardMistaken identity
As outlined by IFAB, the International Football Association Board, VAR cannot intervene on second yellow cards which lead to a sending off. The organization’s advisory panel discussed the prospect of changing this during a regular review meeting this week,
It remains to be seen if this suggestion will escape the realm of theory and be put into practice at this summer’s World Cup. An official proposal is expected to be submitted ahead of IFAB’s Annual Business Meeting in January.
Appeals to bring second yellow cards under the remit of VAR have been lodged since the system’s inception, it has been reported. However, Premier League referees chief Howard Webb tread a cautious line when discussing the prospect earlier this season.
“The message we get is ‘less is more’ with VAR, and we’ve done pretty well in aligning our delivery with that expectation,” Webb crowed to . “If the game, or the people involved, tell us that greater use would be better for the game, then of course I’d be open—but we need to think carefully about the consequences, the ripple effects.
“If you are talking about yellow cards that are delivered incorrectly, which could be impactful on the game, then you also have to think about wrongly not-issued yellow cards.
“I understand the impact of a wrongly awarded corner that's clearly wrong—easy to see on video—and the impact of a wrongly issued yellow card. But equally there’s also a feeling that VAR already exists to rectify clear errors in big situations, so we’ll have those discussions and make sure to consult with the English game as well.”
