Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham has firmly rejected calls to extend the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system’s powers, stating there’s “no need” for further interruptions to the game.
Despite suggestions that the International FA Board (Ifab) might consider expanding VAR to include incidents like corner kicks and second yellow cards, the FA, a key Ifab member, has made its opposition clear.
Bullingham told BBC Sport, “We don’t think there’s any need to extend the use of VAR… We think there’s enough interruptions to the game in the current model.”
Currently, VAR is limited to goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards, and mistaken identity.
While FIFA’s referees chief Pierluigi Collina had previously considered widening VAR’s use, he emphasized avoiding increased delays.
Sources indicate Ifab has received no formal proposals for VAR expansion, and many board members are expected to oppose such a move.
The debate continues amid fan opposition and past efforts to improve VAR’s efficiency. The inability of VAR to intervene in controversial second yellow card incidents has also fueled discussion.
