Referees will explain VAR decisions to the public during the Club World Cup

The IFAB (International Football Association Board), the entity that dictates the rules of football, authorized this Wednesday (18) that referees explain to the public the decisions of the VAR (video referee) during the next Club World Cup, at the beginning of February.

The governing body, however, vetoed temporary substitutions in case of concussion, informed the executive director of the English FA, Mark Bullingham.

At a meeting in Wembley, the IFBA validated the VAR proposal for the Club World Cup, from February 1 to 11 in Morocco, and the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (July 20 to August 20), Bullingham explained.

Communications between the field referee and his assistants in the VAR booth remain confidential, but the final decision will be explained to the public.

“We think it’s important in terms of transparency, especially for the fans in the stadium, who currently don’t get enough information about these decisions,” said the manager as he left the meeting.

On the other hand, there was no agreement to allow from next season the temporary replacements in case of cerebral concussion, a measure requested by the world union of players FIFPro and by the World Leagues Forum, which represents 40 professional leagues.

The current measure that provides for definitive replacements was maintained without a time limit.

Supporters of temporary substitutions, as already happens in rugby, argue that their adoption would facilitate the decision to take a player off the field, giving more time to doctors to decide whether the player can continue playing or not, without his team having to play in inferiority during that time.

“There are different points of view and they are all defensible,” admitted Bullingham, supporter of the measure.