FIFA has ordered that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews be applied uniformly across all competitions, as they take over direct responsibility for the system.
IFAB, the game’s law-making body, had previously handled issues pertaining to VAR during the two-year experimental phase.
During that time, there have been controversies mostly in the English Premier League, over how the centre referee should consult VAR to ratify decisions.
Other major leagues in Europe like Spain’s LaLiga, the German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A, have seemed to operate differently to the top flight in England.
Chairman of FIFA’s Referees’ Committee, Pierluigi Collina, confirmed to Reuters that the decision to take over the control of VAR from IFAB was a “natural transition”.
“IFAB as an organisation has the duty to govern the laws of football, including VAR and the protocol and regulations. Once the laws of the game are set, IFAB’s job is over,” Collina said.
“It is then FIFA that deals with referees’ education around the world supporting all the member associations.”
