Premier League managers may soon have the ability to challenge refereeing decisions, as FIFA considers revamping VAR. The English top flight introduced VAR at the start of the 2019/2020 season, but the system has faced persistent issues.

Managers, players, pundits, and fans alike have expressed frustration with VAR. Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer of PGMOL, has worked to clarify misunderstandings surrounding the system, yet he has frequently had to apologise for contentious decisions made by his officials.

Leicester City have found themselves at the centre of multiple refereeing controversies involving VAR, the latest of which occurred during their 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town. The home manager, Kieran McKenna, was incensed after both a penalty appeal and a red card decision went against his side.

A late equaliser by Jordan Ayew secured a point for the Foxes at Portman Road, but Ipswich were left fuming after referee Tim Robinson declined to penalise a collision between Abdul Fatawu and Conor Chaplin in the Leicester penalty area.

The Foxes previously claimed they were on the wrong end of a VAR decision in their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace earlier this season.

At present, only referees are permitted to initiate reviews with the VAR team flagging incidents. However, this might soon change, as FIFA is contemplating allowing managers to challenge decisions directly.

According to ESPN, FIFA is seeking approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to extend trials of Football Video Support (FVS). This system would allow managers to formally contest decisions.

FVS has already been trialled during this year’s U20 and U17 FIFA Women’s World Cups, following IFAB’s approval for testing in March. It is now reported by the Mirror that FIFA aims to expand this system to other competitions.

Under the FVS system, managers would be permitted to make up to two challenges per match if they believe an error has been made. The referee would then review a replay at the side of the pitch.

In contrast to the current VAR process, the Football Video Support system uses only a replay operator, who sets up the footage for the match referee to review independently without any pre-judgement of a “clear and obvious error.” This streamlined approach is aimed at leagues with limited technological resources, ideally those using a maximum of four cameras.

Pierluigi Collina, chair of FIFA’s referees’ committee, has endorsed the new system, noting its positive impact in the initial trials.

“We are at the beginning of the trial, and the experiences at both the U20 and U17 FIFA Women’s World Cups will be carefully analysed; however, thus far, we haven’t observed anything unexpected,” Collina told ESPN.

“As agreed, FIFA will present a report at the next IFAB annual business meeting and will request permission to continue the trial on a wider scale. Several FIFA member associations have already expressed interest in participating. If IFAB grants approval, several competitions will be using FVS next year.”

“Although [the U20 and U17 FIFA Women’s World Cups] were the initial trials, both for the teams and match officials, the feedback has been very positive. We conducted a survey with the coaches after the tournament, which revealed that FVS was well-received and considered suitable for future use.”