FIFA reveal new challenge system with Premier League decision already made

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·17 May 2024

FIFA reveal new challenge system with Premier League decision already made

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A new challenge system has been introduced for trials by FIFA.

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The Football Video Support concept, known as VS, is already being put to the test in youth football and with promising results.

That is according to Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's head of referees, who spoke positively about the system at this week’s FIFA Congress in Bangkok.

It involves managers being allowed to challenge two refereeing decisions per game, with successful appeals meaning they keep the challenge to use again later.

The first trial took place last week at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup but there are no plans to introduce it in the Premier League or other elite levels of the game at this point, according to ESPN.

“The outcome was very, very positive,” Collina stated.

“Our aim is to continue to trial this new system, namely in our youth competitions.

“We hope to be able to give all of you who have indicated an interest in the possibility to implement this system in your competitions.”

VAR has come in for considerable scrutiny in recent years, with Wolves lodging a move to end its use in the Premier League.

As a result, the likes of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino were quizzed on their thoughts during Friday’s press conferences.

“I like VAR,” said Pochettino. “The way we need to improve is how we use VAR but we need to be open and to welcome the new technology.”

Klopp stated: “I think they are voting against how VAR gets used because that is definitely not right. In the way they do it, I would vote against it because these people are not able to use it properly.

“I don’t think VAR is the problem but the way they use it is the problem. You cannot change the people obviously, that is clear, so I would say I would vote for scrapping VAR.”