World Cup: What is the VAR protocol trial and could the Premier League adopt it?

Yoshimi Yamashita demonstrated the protocol during New Zealand's group-stage match against Norway. Credit: Getty

By James Gray, ITV News Multimedia Producer

Yoshimi Yamashita has become the first referee at the 2023 FIFA World Cup to demonstrate a new protocol for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions.

The tournament has been selected by world football's governing body to test a format, which involves match officials communicating their final decision at the end of a VAR check to stadium and television audiences.

The move is hoped to improve "transparency" for supporters watching along both in person and remotely.

ITV News explains how the protocol works and whether it could be adopted by other competitions, including the Premier League.

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Yoshimi Yamashita was advised to check a potential handball offence. Credit: Getty

How does the protocol work?

In the 89th minute of the tournament's opening game between New Zealand and Norway, referee Yamashita awarded the former a penalty.

Initially, she was advised by the VAR to review a potential handball decision on a pitch-side monitor.

After deciding to award New Zealand a penalty, she gestured - as is already the accepted protocol - to give the decision, but also communicated it through a microphone, announcing: "The decision is penalty."

Only the final VAR decision will be broadcast by the referee and not the conversation between the VAR and match official.

Watch the moment a referee first demonstrated the VAR protocol at the World Cup

Has it been trialled before?

The protocol has already been used in both the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, in Morocco, and the recent Under-20 World Cup, in Argentina.

Why is it being trialled?

One of the great frustrations around VAR, particularly among match-going fans, has been the lack of communication around how a decision has been reached.

So, the game's lawmaking body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), approved a trial at its annual business meeting, at the start of 2023.

IFAB is comprised of the four British football associations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) with one vote each, and FIFA, covering the remaining 207 national associations, with four votes.

Speaking in January, IFAB board member Mark Bullingham, the chief executive of the Football Association (FA), said: "We think it's important in terms of transparency, predominantly to the crowd in the stadium, who at the moment don't get enough information as to what's happening with a decision."

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Could it be adopted by the Premier League?

No announcement has yet been made as to whether other competitions outside of FIFA could adopt the protocol.

But, earlier this year, referees' chief Howard Webb said that leagues around the world could be given the green light to trial the system for themselves.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football programme, he said a decision to approve trials could be taken at the IFAB annual business meeting, likely to be held in December.

Webb said a positive outcome would be more likely if the standards and guidelines are well developed by the end of the World Cup.

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