FIFA is preparing to introduce a potentially transformative rule change with the Football Video Assistance System (FVS), designed to give coaches a new tool to challenge referees’ decisions.
FVS offers a simplified alternative to VAR, tailored specifically to leagues with limited financial resources and camera setups.
Although it shares some similarities with the existing video assistance refereeing (VAR) system, FVS notably transfers some decision-making power to coaches, allowing them to challenge decisions they believe were made by error.
FVS, recently tested at the U20 and U17 Women’s World Cups, allows coaches to initiate up to two challenges per match for specific decisions, such as goals, penalties or red cards.
Approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) earlier this year, FIFA wants to extend its use to other competitions following positive feedback received during trials, reports L’Equipe.
Unlike VAR, where off-site referees monitor the match from multiple angles, FVS operates with minimal technology, typically using no more than four to five cameras.
Under the VAR system, the head coach of each team can request a review of a contested decision by signaling to the referee, who will then view the footage on a pitchside monitor. A designated replay operator will take care of the replay, but the final decision rests with the referee, who makes the final decision without further intervention from a separate VAR official.
This setup allows coaches to challenge decisions while ensuring that not all match incidents are subject to review. Instead, reviews are limited to high-stakes situations: goals, penalty decisions and red cards. Coaches must use their challenges wisely as they are limited to two per game and lose one if the review is unsuccessful.
If VAR has become an essential element of the best leagues in the world, its implementation on a global scale has encountered difficulties.
Many leagues, particularly in lower divisions or developing regions, lack the resources necessary for the extensive infrastructure that VAR requires. The FVS system is meant to fill this gap by providing a cost-effective solution that FIFA believes will make refereeing more consistent across all regions.
