Postive advice from IFAB on tests with video referee

It looks like it can’t go wrong any more for those who want to start the tests with video referee in football. IFAB, the international organisation who decides on changes of the football rules, gave a strong recommendation for experiments with this new technique. The final decision will be made during the 130th Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in Cardiff from 4 to 6 March 2016.

The IFAB has also said the Laws of the Game need to become more “user-friendly”. The revised rules will be used during the 2016-2017 season. Fifa says it “represents the most comprehensive revision of the Laws ever undertaken in The IFAB’s history”. What will they do? Half of the words will be deleted, other layout, terminology and phrasing. If you may cut out text or rephrase the rules, what would you do?

Tests with video referee in The Netherlands

The KNVB, the Dutch football organisation, wants to try out the video referee in next season’s cup games. How does it work?

• The video referee will be placed in a van outside the stadium with two technicians.
• He will follow the game with at least six camera’s and can ask for replays.
• The video referee can be used only with big decisions, like red cards, penalty kicks and goals.
• The video referee can come with advice when he sees something (pro-active) or the referee on the pitch can ask his help.

The video the KNVB made in Dutch, will give you an impression how they work. You’ll see international referee Danny Makkelie in the van with all the camera’s. They can easily check if goals are offside or not or if a player has made a foul before the goal.

The test in The Netherlands was very positive. In the situations above they could see where they would have been able to assit if it was allowed. The only thing that makes it difficult to help is when a referee whistles for a foul or offside and from the video’s you can see he made the wrong call. Then play has stopped and you can’t do anything then to help.

The FA in England is also interested in using the video referee and has asked clubs what they want. With approving the experiment in The Netherlands, the video referee is also a step closer in other countries.

What are your thoughts on this new rule?

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