Rangers have been invited to a meeting set to be co-hosted by the SFA and SPFL which will explore the possible introduction of VAR to Scottish football [Scottishfa.co.uk].
All Premiership clubs will be involved in the meeting, during which former Premier League referee and current General Manager of the Professional Referee Organisation in Major League Soccer, Howard Webb, will present on ‘the evolution of the technology since its inception and introduction into the Laws of the Game in 2018.’
Goal Line Technology is the only additional support match officials have benefitted from in domestic Scottish football to date and that has only been available in Scottish Cup and League Cup matches held at Hampden Park since December 2020.
However, it’s now being proposed that full VAR be introduced for all Premiership matches and for the latter stages of the cup competitions.
It’s stated that The Scottish Senior Referees’ Association is in favour of its introduction and the SFA have committed to covering the costs of training for officials, although Bobby Madden, John Beaton and Willie Collum are all already part of the ‘pool of VARs’.
“Given the costs involved and the potential effects on the natural flow of the game, it was always a sensible decision to monitor the introduction of VAR in other competitions before considering implementation in the cinch Premiership,” said SPFL chief Neil Doncaster [Scottishfa.co.uk].
“Now that there has been a meaningful bedding-in period in several leagues, now is a good time to look again at the benefits of the technology. We are keen to hear the views of the clubs, officials and fans and look forward to discussions over the next few months.”
Rangers invited to SFA and SPFL-hosted meeting about VAR
The introduction of VAR would be a historic development for Scottish football and there’s clearly now real support for it from the SFA in particular.
There were major early problems with VAR elsewhere, particularly in the Premier League. However, tweaks have been made in recent times that do appear to have improved its effectiveness and reduced controversy.
The key for it to be successful is that it’s used, as similar technology is in other sports, to overturn clear and obvious errors.
If it had been in place for the 2019 League Cup final between the Gers and Celtic, for example, it could have been used to rule out Christopher Jullien’s winning goal for offside.
Even when used well, though, its impact on the flow of the game is undeniable, and it’ll be interesting to see where clubs and their supporters stand on the matter.
In other news, Rangers fans have been left buzzing by a first-team player’s latest social media activity.