FIFA has made a significant change to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system just hours before the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, moving officials on-site amid mounting criticism of the technology.
VAR Relocated to Venues
The governing body ruled that VAR officials will now be placed in the vicinity of the semi-final and final grounds, rather than operating from a central hub at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas. The switch was first implemented during France's clash with Spain in Dallas, and England will experience the change first-hand when they face Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Dan Hunt, owner of FC Dallas and a FIFA World Cup Organising Committee member, commented: "There's a lot of drama that unfolds in these games. And look, when you are asking only four officials to manage what's going on on the field, it's very difficult on a field that's much bigger than an American football field. I'm glad that there's gonna be on-site. I don't know what that communication's gonna look like."
Controversial Decisions Prompt Change
The decision follows intense scrutiny of VAR after England's penalty was controversially ruled out in a previous match. Referee Clement Turpin was instructed to go to the monitor and overturn his decision after Djed Spence was adjudged to have initiated contact, despite appearing to be brought down inside the box by a Norwegian defender.
During the Spain vs France match, VAR was accused of micro-officiating when Ousmane Dembele's free-kick was overturned after Fabian Ruiz was deemed to have fouled. According to BBC Sport's Dale Johnson, the referee's assistant recommended the change. However, referee Ivan Barton was largely untroubled and did not require VAR intervention in that game.
On-Site Officials as Contingency
The newly-deployed on-site officials will serve as a contingency measure should any communication or technical issues arise. Prior to the quarter-final stage, where the arrangement was trialled at a select number of matches, VAR officials had been operating from the central hub in Dallas regardless of the game's location.
Ivan Barton was named referee for the highly-anticipated encounter between Spain and France, with Poland's Tomasz Kwiatkowski serving as chief VAR official. Kwiatkowski, a vastly experienced video specialist, oversaw VAR operations for the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina.
Other VAR Incidents
In another incident, Egypt had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up to what would have been a two-goal advantage through Ziko, with officials determining that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled at the start of the passage of play.
This development marks a considerable shift in how the tournament's review system operates, arriving as the competition approaches its most crucial remaining fixtures.
