Football Video Support (FVS), designed as an accessible and cost-effective video replay system for key refereeing calls, is rapidly gaining traction across the world game. Following the decision at The International Football Association Board’s 139th Annual General Meeting, FVS trials have been extended to non-FIFA competitions. That approval unlocked opportunities for Member Associations to adopt shortlisted solutions developed through the FIFA Innovation Challenge. Multiple technology providers – many with FIFA Quality Programme experience – submitted systems that were assessed and showcased in live demonstrations to match officials, leagues and governing bodies.
What started as a FIFA Innovation Challenge and driven under the leadership of FIFA Refereeing has now grown into a practical solution that is already being adopted by a range of leagues, with many more national associations lining up to implement the technology. In August, Italy’s Serie C (men’s third division) and Spain’s Liga F (women’s top flight) and Primera Federación (men’s third tier) became the first competitions to roll out FVS on a full-time basis. The system’s introduction in these leagues marks the next step in the trial phase, in which affordable, scalable video support is available across various levels of the game. Some 200 matches have already been played using FVS in Serie C, and a trial will begin this coming weekend in the Italian women’s Serie A (top tier). FVS is also being rolled out in Brazil, with trials under way in the Copa Paulista (São Paulo state cup) and the women’s national cup, the Copa do Brasil Feminina.
“FVS is a tool to support referees in competitions with fewer resources and cameras. It should not be seen as VAR or as a modified version of it, as it does not include video match officials monitoring every incident. We’re very encouraged by the first results and look forward to helping our Member Associations benefit from this technology,” said Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. Only the team’s head coach (or, in their absence, the senior team official present in the technical area) can make a review request, which must be made immediately after the incident, by twirling their finger in the air and giving a review request card to the fourth official. However, each player is entitled to ask their head coach to make a review request. The system is used only in the event of a possible clear and obvious error or serious missed incident in relation to the following scenarios, such as goal/no goal, penalty/no penalty or direct red cards (not second cautions).
On the international stage, meanwhile, FIFA intends to keep showcasing FVS at its youth tournaments. The system is currently being used throughout the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025, with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 also expected to include trials. Later in the year, FVS will be in place for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar, which will provide yet another opportunity to gain experience and insights into how the technology can support referees in international youth competitions. The momentum does not stop there. Several FIFA Member Associations are preparing to participate in the trials later this year or early next year, and around ten others are working on implementation plans. FIFA continuously liaises and collaborates with Member Associations to evaluate the experiences of those involved in the trials and the data collected. The core goal behind FIFA’s promotion of FVS is clear: to democratise football by making video review technology available as an additional option – not only for elite competitions with substantial resources, but also for leagues and associations that would be unable to afford the video assistant referee (VAR) set-up. With lower infrastructure costs and simplified operations, FVS is not a replacement for the VAR system, but it nevertheless empowers referees with critical decision-making support while ensuring that accuracy and fairness are within reach for competitions of all sizes.
Source: FIFA
