Pierluigi Collina has revealed that FIFA are already instructing potential World Cup referees on how to use VAR (video assistant referees) ahead of next year’s tournament. No decision has been made on the use of video assistant technology in Russia, with the final decision set to be made in March. But football’s top brass offered their strongest hints that they are confident it will be introduced for the 2018 World Cup at the Dubai International Sports Conference.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that its implementation – across seven domestic leagues around the world so far – has been ‘very encouraging and very positive’ with only ‘fine-tuning’ needed. And former official Collina, now the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, says that VAR tutorials are one of the governing body’s top priorities ahead of the World Cup. “We are doing a good job as FIFA to get our referees ready,” said Collina. “There will absolutely be (special training in VAR). Between the beginning of the January and the start of the World Cup, there will be five seminars – once in January, two in March and two in April in different locations. Certainly we will be meeting more times and at more stages than the national sides. The referees will be in Russia 10 days before the kick-off. The next step in the IFAB (International Football Association Board) general business meeting is the changes of the rules in the game to be approved and then implemented, so there will be an assessment between mid-January and beginning of March.” Felix Brych, the German who refereed last season’s Champions League final, is in support of the system, though admitted there are ‘communication’ problems that need to be ironed out. But Collina believes the system will evolve into a tool that empowers referees rather than diminishes them. “The referee is still the final decision maker – he has to be,” said Collina. “The referee cannot be seen as someone who executes a decision taken by someone else outside the field of play. He knows there is a monitor by the side of play, and he goes to review the incident by himself. When it is a factual decision, like an offside, then it can be taken outside the field of play. But when it is a matter of interpretation, and most of the time for a referee it is, the referee must review the incident because he is taking the final decision. He cannot listen to someone from the outside saying ‘you must do this’ because there would be two kinds of problems. The referee would lose credibility and the player would not think he is the final decision maker. Second is a matter of self-confidence, because the referee feels monitored and not supported if someone is correcting him”.
