The IFAB has confirmed the agenda for the forthcoming Annual Business Meeting (ABM) which will take place at Home of FIFA in Zurich on Monday, 22 January 2018. The main focus of the meeting will be on video assistant referees (VARs) and members will discuss the latest results from the experiment and the scientific study report from the Belgian university KU Leuven which has been conducting an independent analysis of the use of VARs, including data from all participating countries and competitions since the start of the experiment in March 2016. The IFAB and FIFA administrations will also provide detailed reports on the VAR experiment including the key learning areas and experience from the two-year trial period. Based on the analysis and evaluation of all relevant data and information, the Board may make a recommendation for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to consider on whether the use of VARs in football should be permitted and, if it is, how the use of VARs can be made accessible to as many competitions as possible.
The ABM will also assess the impact of the amendments made to the Laws of the Game implemented in 2017/18 and consider the amendments proposed for the 2018/2019 edition. Additional agenda items include an update on the two-year experiment with additional substitutes in extra time, the use of electronic and communication equipment in the technical area as well as an update on the development of the FIFA Quality Programme for electronic performance and tracking systems (EPTS). Furthermore, the members will discuss which Play Fair! topics could be further explored, following the first feedbacks received from various stakeholders and trials since the launch of the initiative. The ABM prepares and agrees on topics and material for the AGM, the meeting which has exclusive authority to make changes to football’s Laws of the Game. The next AGM will take place in Zurich, on 2 March 2018.
Source: IFAB
