FIFA will introduce a new version of video review at the U-20 World Cup in Chile, running from September 27 to October 19, as part of its ongoing effort to make the game fairer and more accessible.
The system, called Football Video Support (FVS), is designed not only to speed up play but also to lower implementation costs, making video technology feasible for countries that have yet to adopt traditional VAR due to financial limitations.
The system also requires fewer staff members than traditional VAR and aims to revolutionize officiating by giving coaches control over when reviews are triggered. Unlike VAR, where decisions are initiated by referees, FVS will allow coaches to request reviews of specific plays.
Each team will be granted two challenges per match, which can be used to contest calls involving goals, penalties, straight red cards, or cases of mistaken identity. To initiate a challenge, coaches must present a green card to the referee.
Green card already tested
The green card system has already been trialed in youth competitions, including the Blue Stars Youth Cup and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. Its main goal is to eliminate the lengthy delays often associated with VAR and to ease the burden on referees, according to Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee.
“It’s essential for referees to gain experience in tournaments with the stars of the future, and for us to continue testing the FVS, which has so far been a real success,” the former Italian referee said.
Similarities with other sports
The introduction of the green card in soccer draws comparisons to field hockey, where teams also have the ability to request video reviews with a limited number of challenges.
The key difference lies in the rules: in field hockey, each side is granted one challenge, which is retained if the call is overturned. In soccer, under FIFA’s system, each team will be allowed two challenges per match regardless of whether their request is successful or not.