VAR to be introduced in AFC Champions League

Bengaluru, August 25: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has decided to introduce the often condemned-yet-popular Video Assistant Referees (VAR) technology from the quarterfinal stage of this season's AFC Champions League.

The VAR technology has been introduced in competitions worldwide from the Premier League to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but their decisions have often sparked controversy.

The AFC Champions League will resume after the long-break forced by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in September.

The AFC said the decision showed its 'commitment to ensure Asian refereeing continues to set new benchmarks'.

"Having organised numerous VAR courses and seminars since March 2017, the AFC has a proven track record in the implementation of the VAR system which has been endorsed by both FIFA and the IFAB," an AFC statement said.

VAR to be implemented from #ACL2020 quarter-finals onwards. First time in AFC's club competitions too!https://t.co/VyFD0mPTvJ

— #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) August 24, 2020

The technology will be used from the quarterfinal stage of this year's continental competition which had been suspended since March due to the travel restrictions put in place after the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

The quarterfinals for West Zone teams take place on September 30 and for East Zone sides on November 25, with a single-leg final on December 5.

VAR was used in Asian football for the first time from the quarterfinals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup held in the UAE.

It was later successfully implemented across all 32 matches at the AFC Under-23 Championship held in Thailand in January, 2020.

"Additionally, to further strengthen the AFC's capabilities in the VAR system application in the AFC Champions League, a virtual AFC VAR Information Officer (VIO) Workshop 2020 will be organised on August 26 to ensure VIOs are well informed on the latest VAR developments.

"The VAR system, which aims to provide minimum interference with maximum benefit, is limited to four game-changing decisions or incidents, specifically - goal or no goal, penalty-kicks, direct red cards and mistaken identity decisions," the AFC statement added.

The AFC Champions League features 32 teams stretching from Saudi Arabia in the west to Japan in the East.

(With inputs from AFC Media)