English Football League Championship clubs have rejected the opportunity to implement a video assistant referee (VAR) challenge system for the upcoming season.
The proposed Football Video Support (FVS) system, a variant of VAR already utilised in other sports, was initially put forward by Professional Game Match Officials during the EFL’s annual meeting in March.
Under the FVS model, managers would have been granted two reviews per match, with the referee consulting different camera angles at a pitchside monitor.
A key feature was that successful challenges would not count against a team’s allocation.
However, following a subsequent EFL survey, the introduction of the system was opposed by the majority of clubs, the Press Association has learned.
Meanwhile, goal-line technology is set to continue its use in the Championship next season. There is also potential for its extension to League One, pending a vote on fully costed proposals scheduled for June.
VAR was introduced to the Premier League in 2019, but a recent survey by the Football Supporters’ Association discovered that three-quarters of top-flight fans are against its use.
Nearly 8,000 supporters, just over half of whom attend in excess of 15 home games a season, took part in the poll to assess attitudes to the technology.
The results demonstrated just how unpopular it has become, with more than 97 per cent of respondents opposing the statement that VAR makes watching football more enjoyable, while more than 90 per cent disagreed that it has made the matchgoing experience better.
Asked if they support the use of VAR in football, meanwhile, 75.71 per cent said they do not, with more than 70 per cent disagreeing that it has improved the overall accuracy of refereeing decisions. More than 90 per cent also believe the technology has removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations.
