By Andrew Warshaw
November 24 – Football’s lawmakers have been forced to postpone their annual business meeting in Abu Dhabi where the main focus of attention was to have been video technology.
The International FA Board, comprising the four British associations and FIFA, have called off its scheduled mid-December session due to unavailability of certain officials so close to Christmas. Members are to meet instead in January in Zurich.
Traditionally the business summit takes place in the autumn with recommendations drawn up to present to the IFAB’s main annual general meeting the following spring. This year’s meeting was pushed back to December in an attempt to tie in with other FIFA events, notably the Club World Cup, but it is understood not all the British associations were able to travel at this time.
Several countries are trialling video technology, including France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. But following a raft of questionable rulings – both in favour of and against VARs – there is mounting evidence that more work needs to be done in order to ensure the technology does not prove counter-productive.
A firm decision one way or the other is expected to be made at the next IFAB AGM in in March, a few weeks after the rescheduled business meeting, with critics arguing there is not enough proof that the process works properly.
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