VAR may take 10 years to fully understand, football lawmakers warn

Confusion: VAR
REUTERS

Football's lawmakers IFAB have warned it could take at least 10 years until everyone fully understands how VAR works.

Video assistant referees have been introduced to the Premier League for the first time this season and after just two rounds of fixtures they are already causing debate.

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus had a goal ruled out against West Ham on the opening weekend after Raheem Sterling was ruled offside by the tightest of margins, while on Saturday the Brazilian was denied a winner against Tottenham after replays captured the ball brushing Aymeric Laporte’s forearm.

IFAB secretary Lukas Brud said the concept of VAR “was still at the beginning”. “They have taken their time to use it and wanted to see how it works,” he told VAR from Perfect, a study into the workings of VAR.

“We talked to other sports and everyone told us this is a 10-year project until people really understand how it works.

“Referees report back to us that this is something they have always wanted, for various reasons.

“Every single referee has said to us ‘for us, it’s great. We don’t have to be afraid of killing our careers’.”

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