FIFA one step closer to confirming VAR for Women’s World Cup

ZURICH (AP):

The FIFA panel overseeing Women’s World Cup preparations recommended yesterday using video review to help referees, clearing the path for final confirmation next week.

The plan has strong backers in FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA leader Aleksander Ceferin, who chaired yesterday’s meeting of the organising committee for world football competitions.

At a meeting in Miami next week, FIFA’s ruling council is set to ratify video assistants being deployed to help women referees at the June 7-July 7 tournament in France.

The video assistant referees (VARs) will likely include men helping advise all-female teams of referees and assistants. No domestic women’s competition uses VAR.

The Associated Press revealed in February that FIFA was set to use VAR at its women’s showpiece after months of uncertainty.

Some men with experience working as VARs at the 2018 World Cup in Russia took part in trials at a boys’ youth tournament in Qatar last month with Women’s World Cup match officials.

“The tests were quite positive,” Infantino said on Saturday. “I would of course wish that we do use VAR at the Women’s World Cup.”