VAR technology won’t be introduced to Scottish football until the end of 2022- at the earliest.
Since the start of the 2018/19 season referees in the EPL have been helped by the introduction of a video assistant that has been able to greatly reduce contentious decisions.
There will always be a level of debate about penalty incidents and sending’s off but for offside decisions and whether the ball has crossed the goal-line VAR can provide definite answers.
Every weekend it seems that one set of supporters or another are calling for VAR but typically the SFA and SPFL seem unable to introduce technology that is commonplace throughout the major European league and also countries like Denmark, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Covering the issue last night, BBC Scotland reports:
Scottish Premiership clubs will hold a meeting on Monday lunchtime where the cost of introducing VAR will discussed.
Clubs have been told the cost to each top-flight outfit will be in the region of £80,000-£100,000 per season.
For VAR to be introduced, all 42 SPFL clubs will be required to vote but only Premiership clubs will be asked to contribute.
No vote will take place on Monday but a formal ballot is expected to take place before the end of this season.
VAR training for referees is continuing through the Scottish FA and the system has been used in international and Uefa club competition matches in Scotland.
If voted in, the new system could be implemented after the break for next year’s Qatar World Cup finals, which finish on 18 December.
VAR was first used in Scotland in February 2020 in the knock-out stage of the Europa League with Celtic getting a penalty against Copenhagen after the referee checked the touchline monitor.
Last summer all four European Championship matches at Hampden benefitted from VAR but it seems that after the tournament the equipment was packed up and shipped away.
With just six sets of cameras required plus running costs it is hard to justify why there is no VAR in the Scottish game.
Var will over the piece cost sevco