Rules Enforcer: better explain video evidence to viewers

London. Decisions by the video referees (VAR) in football games should be better explained to the public in a test phase. This was confirmed by the top rulers of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at a meeting in London.

The twelve-month test that the referee at FIFA tournaments explains the decision via the stadium microphone was officially confirmed. Similar to American football, the explanation should also be shown in the TV broadcast.

The test phase for this had already begun at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco at the beginning of February and is to be continued at the upcoming U20 World Cup in Indonesia. A decision as to whether the explanation by the referee should also be carried out as a test at FIFA tournaments will be made at a later date, it said. The previous processes with the video evidence should be checked again with the most important participants.

Overtime could increase

The football rule-keepers also made a recommendation to all football competitions worldwide to calculate injury time more precisely and to allow additional minutes to be played when players are wasting time. A similar approach was tried out at the World Cup in Qatar last year and, according to Ifab, had proven its worth.

It was also decided to set up a working group to improve the behavior of players on the field towards referees in amateur football. As a test, the officials – like police officers – are to be equipped with so-called bodycams. These body-worn cameras record all communications with players and coaches.

The 137th Ifab meeting in the British capital was attended by representatives of the world football association FIFA, including President Gianni Infantino, the English Football Association and the associations from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.