Premier League referee Anthony Taylor is set to be part of a new VAR trial where officials will be forced to explain their decisions.
The system has been under the spotlight this season due to a number of contentious decisions both in the Premier League and further afield. Since the technology was introduced into the English top-flight, fans have regularly been left in the dark - just a small announcement on TV screens indicating what particular suspected offence is being analysed.
That could be set to change though with a new trial set to kick-off. As per The Times, a trial authorised by IFAB will see officials at next month’s FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco explain their reasoning for any decisions to the crowd in stadiums via microphones.
TV audiences will also be able to hear the conversations taking place in what will hopefully give more clarity to the VAR process going forwards. Premier League referee Anthony Taylor will be at the heart of the trial and should it go well then the alteration could potentially be seen in further competitions.
The upcoming Women’s World Cup this summer has also been earmarked for a similar trial and it remains to be seen if that escalates into the decision being made in the Premier League.
VAR was most recently scrutinised in Liverpool ’s FA Cup draw with Wolves at Anfield. Toti Gomes thought he had scored a winner for the Midlands side only to see his strike ruled out by the linesman’s offside flag.
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VAR intervened but a lack of decisive angles saw the system unable to come to a decision with the on-field call being retained, Jurgen Klopp having huge sympathy for Wolves. Speaking after the match, he said: “I’m not sure about their third goal.
“We have one angle where it could be offside, but I can totally understand that Wolves is not happy with that. The camera or VAR didn’t work properly. We don't want the VAR to just have one angle. So that’s then tricky. But now we have to play again.”
Whilst IFAB green-lit the trial, further alterations to officiating protocol have however been turned down. A countdown clock for stoppage time was a suggestion put forward and considered but plans will not go forwards.
Instead, new guidelines from FIFA are set to encourage decision makers to follow the example set in the recent World Cup in Qatar with a significant amount of time being added on to the end of matches throughout the tournament. That initiative has so far not been introduced into the Premier League following the enforced break.
Meanwhile, IFAB have also turned down another suggestion relating to concussion substitutes. The Premier League, MLS and Ligue 1 all proposed temporary concussion changes that would allow a ten-minute period for a player to be checked over.
That proposal has been rejected out of hand with permanent concussion substitutes set to continue.
