The AIFF has sent a letter to the International Football Association Board, the governing body responsible for establishing the rules of the sport, in order to investigate the potential for India to take part in a test phase for VAR.
The AIFF is aiming to introduce VAR to India in order to enhance the refereeing standards in Indian football competitions. Currently, none of the Indian football competitions utilize VAR, which has led to criticism of the refereeing quality in the ISL. To address this issue, the All India Football Federation has reached out to the International Football Association Board, the governing body responsible for the laws of the game, to explore the possibility of India participating in the trial of the ‘Additional Video Review System’ (AVRS). VAR, also known as the Video Assistant Referee, was first implemented in FIFA events during the 2016-17 season. It assists referees in making crucial decisions in four key areas: goals and related offenses, penalty decisions and related offenses, direct red card incidents, and cases of mistaken identity.
In a media release, Kalyan Chaubey, the president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), emphasized our primary goal of minimizing the margin of error by equipping match officials with advanced technology to aid in their decision-making process.
The topic of VAR has sparked extensive discussion within European football. The technology has frequently been a subject of controversy due to its inconsistent nature and peculiar decision-making process.
In regards to this matter, it is my belief that AVRS could serve as a valuable alternative for a nation such as India. By utilizing AVRS, we would have the opportunity to thoroughly examine the effects of this technology, provide training to our match officials on this novel concept, and evaluate its acceptance among players, coaches, and clubs alike,” he further stated.
The Indian Super League, which is the top football league in India, has faced frequent criticism for its poor refereeing standards. In an effort to address this issue, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is considering the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology.
The President of the AIFF has recommended the expansion of the current technical infrastructure to enable referees to request video reviews from multiple angles and camera feeds. This would allow for an on-demand review system to be put in place.
VAR has already been adopted by many countries around the world for their domestic club competitions. It was first introduced in Australia and the United States and has since gained popularity.
However, the widespread use of VAR is limited due to the financial and infrastructure requirements outlined in FIFA’s Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme (IAAP).