FIFA Boss Favors VAR for 2018 World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants Video Assistant Referee technology at the next World Cup in Russia, summer 2018, hoping to sanction such a move in the spring.

The world football chief said trials have proven the need for video assistance for match officials and that he feared a major tournament being decided by a refereeing error, The Independent reported.

“We need it,” he said at FIFA’s The Best Awards, October 23 in London.

“Every championship needs it. That’s being shown in leagues like Portugal and Italy at the moment. The definitive decision will arrive in March but we can’t imagine a World Cup in 2018 being decided by a referee’s error. You have to help the refs and that happens through technology. It’s definitely a forward step. You can’t imagine football now without VAR. It will end so many problems.”

VAR is an association football assistant referee that reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and a headset for communication. It is not currently part of the Laws of the Game (codified rules published by FIFA) but its use is currently being trialed by the International Football Association Board in a number of competitions.