Carabao semis to use on-field ref announcements
Referees will announce the outcome of VAR reviews via an in-stadium microphone for the first time in English football during next week’s Carabao Cup semifinal first legs.
The trial is limited to when the referee has visited to the pitchside monitor for subjective overturns, and factual interventions for offside and accidental handball by the goal scorer.
There will be no explanation for checks which take place during the game and do not result in the referee being send to view the incident. For instance, a check for a red card or a penalty will not be explained by the referee if the VAR sticks with the on-field decision.
Fans will not hear the discussion between the VAR and the referee at the screen, only the final result of the review from the referee.
“The new pilot forms part of PGMOL’s [Professional Game Match Officials Limited] broader commitment to transparency and embracing technological advancements for the benefit of Match Officials and fans,” the English Football League (EFL) said in a statement on Monday.
The IFAB first initiated a trial in FIFA competitions in December 2022, making it available to all competitions a year later. It has featured in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, the 2023 under-20 World Cup and the the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
It was expected to be introduced into the Premier League at the start of this season, but there has been opposition to it across the major leagues in Europe.
However, referees in England have been preparing for the possible implementation of in-stadium VAR announcements at training camps and via a series of match-related exercises in the stadiums of professional clubs.
Other leagues have embraced it and it’s been a feature of the Australian A-League since the playoffs at the end of last season, and was introduced for the full 2024-25 campaign.
Fans in the A-League get to see what the VAR is watching at the monitor on the stadium big screens, but this will not be adopted in the Carabao Cup. As in the Premier League, a replay of the incident can be shown after a review but the process will not be broadcast live in-stadium.
Arsenal host Newcastle on Tuesday, Jan. 7 before Liverpool go to Tottenham 24 hours later, with the second legs to be held at the start of February.
