Football Video Support To Improve The League
Spain’s Liga F is taking a first step towards a complete VAR system by implementing a “cost-effective” alternative, Football Video Support (FVS), next season, allowing coaches to challenge two on-field decisions per game. Coaches can request referees review decisions related to goals, penalties, direct red cards, or cases of mistaken identity. The decision follows closely after Barcelona had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside against Real Madrid, which has heightened the demand for implementing technology in women’s football in Spain.
The Game That Sparked Change
“VAR would make things fairer,” said Barça defender Jana Fernández on Sunday after her goal was incorrectly disallowed in a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid. VAR was implemented in La Liga at the beginning of the 2018-19 season. While it is used in international women’s competitions, the knockout stages of the Women’s Champions League, and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), it is not commonly found in domestic women’s leagues. Technology is still not broadly implemented in women’s football. While VAR is utilized in major international tournaments, it is not commonly found in domestic leagues.
What is Football Video Support?
Like VAR, the FVS system is intended to be used “in the event of a possible clear and obvious error or serious missed incident” — such as a goal/no goal, straight red card, penalty/no penalty, or mistaken identity, according to a FIFA press release from May.
However, unlike VAR, these decisions aren’t automatically reviewed since there’s no official video match; instead, coaches must request a review from the on-field referee. This addition to the league has fans excited, mainly the teams playing because important calls will no longer be missed.
