Soccer lawmaker says issue with 'overzealous' video referees

Posted January 09, 2018 6:00 am

The Associated Press

A view of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system pitchside, which will be used for the English FA Cup, Third Round soccer match at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, England between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, Monday Jan. 8, 2018. (Gareth Fuller, PA via AP) The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - A member of soccer's lawmaking body says a problem with "over-zealous" video assistant referees needs to be resolved before the technology is approved for use at the World Cup.

The International Football Association Board has been overseeing trials with video replay over the last two years.

FIFA, which holds half of the eight IFAB votes, wants video assistant referees (VARs) at the World Cup in Russia in June. Approval is likely to come at a March meeting of IFAB, which also features the four British federations.

But English Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn says "over-zealous VARs intervening too often seems to be the key issue. That would interfere with the flow."

Glenn wants to "look at the things that have gone wrong" and ensure replays are used "more uniformly."

On Tuesday, Glenn said: "The big question is: Should we put (replays) into the World Cup?"

Fans watch the action as new technology also watches, with the pitch-side Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system being used for the English FA Cup, Third Round soccer match at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, England, between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, Monday Jan. 8, 2018.(Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) The Associated Press

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