Far from VAR - Referee boss cools expectations of technology’s implementation in next JPL season
Published:Saturday | December 26, 2020 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Referee Department, Victor Stewart, says local football is very far from implementing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system domestically, and that it will be ‘impossible’ to do so this season.
Oliver McIntosh, Sportsmax CEO, which was recently named a sponsor of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), said they intend to use VAR if the long-delayed start to the season gets under way next year.
But Stewart, the former FIFA referee, says for the system to be implemented in January, referees would have to be training from last September.
He also argued that even if the subscriber sports network has the technology and personnel to accomplish this, referees are still essential to the system, and so far, they have not received any word from the federation or organisers on the system being instituted this season.
“The VAR system is a very complicated system and as far as we know, we have had no concrete deliberation as to whether we will have VAR this Premier League season,” said Stewart.
“The Premier League hopefully will start in January earliest, so we would have to be training from September and we don’t have the equipment or the personnel,” he argued.
Stewart added he would welcome any discussion on the subject, but insists that it cannot be implemented for this season.
“It is an impossibility. We are very far from VAR,” Stewart stated. “There is a lot behind implementation, and before implementation there is a lot to be done. So it is going to take some time and some doing.”
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Currently, only three countries (Mexico, USA and Costa Rica) use the technology in the region. However, two Jamaican referees have been trained by Concacaf and they are hoping to include more, so that they will be fully prepared for any future implementation.
“Concacaf runs courses and we attend these courses. We have two of our members who are currently being trained and we hope that this can be extended to other match officials, so everybody can have the knowledge of this system as soon as it is available for us to use here,” said Stewart.
However, he insisted that if VAR is to be implemented locally, officials should be the first to be notified.
“VAR is a part of refereeing, so if they are putting in anything remotely close to VAR, then who should they contact? If they are going to implement it, who is going to be responsible for VAR? I would think it is the federation through the referees department, but nobody has said anything to me.”
Meanwhile, chairman of Professional Football Jamaica Limited, Christopher Williams, said they have not made any decision regarding the use of VAR in the league for the upcoming season.
However, he says referees will have the final word when it comes to the implementation of the system.
“We have made no decision on that as yet. That (McIntosh’s comments) was just technical strengthening, but eventually that is a direction we want to go in. We have the ability to test it and that will be done in front of officials, who will be fully included,” said Williams.
“Because at the end of the day, it will be their decision. We can only put forward what is happening, but the ultimate decision is going to be that of the officials,” he assured.