The SFA are holding back on introducing VAR to the Scottish game.
VAR has revolutionised refereeing at the World Cup Finals in Russia with 14 nations trialling pitch-side technology next season. Scotland won’t be one of them.
Scottish football has been dogged with refereeing controversy for years but John Fleming, head of Refereeing at the SFA, is in no rush to provide officials with more support.
The award of penalty kicks has doubled at this World Cup and remains one of the most controversial areas for honest mistakes.
Being able to call on VAR would almost certainly have awarded Celtic a penalty kick against Inverness Caley Thistle at Hampden in 2015 while Bobby Madden would struggle not to award a penalty when Clint Hill attacked Leigh Griffiths two years later.
Explaining the SFA’s approach to VAR Fleming told The National: “I know Scotland are sitting looking at it from the outside. England are waiting for the outcome of the World Cup. They are virtually there.
“Change can be very difficult but once the spectator accepts that technology is there to assist and help us then it will come in. It will just be seamless.
“I think you will always need it. At the moment, the referee makes 93 per cent correct decisions, which is quite high. VAR takes it up to 98 per cent. Do you want that extra five per cent or not?
“You will want it if it is your team and it is the difference between demotion and promotion, getting into the next round of the cup, winning the cup, getting put out of the cup. That is the telling factor.”
No Scottish referees have been involved in the World Cup Finals.
