FIFA trialling scheme allowing managers to challenge two refereeing decisions each match | OneFootball

Fair to say that VAR has its detractors, certainly in terms of how it is implemented in the Premier League, well how about this idea that FIFA are trialling currently?

Football Video Support (FVS) is seen as a potentially simplified alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

With FIFA arranging ongoing trialling of it in youth football and other similarly lower key competitions.

A bit like cricket where it is players who have a certain number of challenges, this FIFA idea sees the managers having two challenges allowed each match, to initiate a video review of a refereeing decision.

A manager gets the attention of the fourth official and hands him a card, to set in motion a review of what may be a goal, a penalty, a red card and so on. Then if they win their challenge, as is the case in cricket, they would retain that review. Players can ask for a review via their manager, if they agree.

It is initially being trialled for potential use in competitions where matches are covered by fewer cameras and as a cheaper alternative to VAR.

FIFA’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, is encouraged by what has happened so far during the trialling of the manager challenge system:

So far, the system has been tested at the likes of the Men’s Under 20s World Cup and the Women’s Under 17 World Cup. As well as 200+ matches in Italy’s Serie C, plus in the Women’s Serie A.

Whether it will ever make its way into use in the Premier League is an unknown.