Posted by World Football Governing body, FIFA has rejected a proposal from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to implement Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The Ghana FA after fulfilling all the Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme (IAAP) requirements as set out by FIFA for the implementation of VAR saw their final proposal rejected.
Per Saddick Adams, GFA in their initial proposal, wanted to apply the VAR to only selected games on TV. However, FIFA rejected the proposal, suggesting to GFA to broadcast all 9 league games on TV before the implementation of VAR in Ghana will be approved.
The Executive Committee of the Ghana FA is expected to submit the new FIFA recommendations on the VAR to Congress.
The Video Assistant Referee is an assistant referee in association football who intervenes in decisions made by the referee and requests for an on field review with the use of video footage and headset for communication.
VAR was first written into the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2018, following extensive training in a number of major competitions.
The technology was designed to reduce critical errors in soccer referees’ decision-making (DM). Currently, only few African countriesh, namely, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt use VAR in their domestic competitions.