Championship clubs reject bringing in VAR next season

Championship clubs had been asked to consider bringing in the challenge system of VAR for next season [Getty Images]

Championship clubs have turned down the chance to introduce a version of the video assistant referee system for next season.

Football Video Support (FVS), a variation of VAR which needs fewer resources and gives each coach two reviews per game, could have been brought in from August.

Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) gave a presentation at the EFL's annual meeting last month.

The EFL subsequently canvassed feedback but it was clear clubs were strongly against any kind of video review system in the Championship.

BBC Sport understands the idea is closed for the foreseeable future and the idea is unlikely to be resurrected in a year's time.

Goal Line Technology will continue to be used in the second tier, while there will be a cost-based analysis before a vote in June to extend it into League One.

In recent months, several managers in the Championship have called for VAR to be introduced.

Norwich manager Philippe Clement said there are "moments where I miss VAR to get the right decisions" after his side conceded a penalty against Ipswich earlier this month.

Former Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber said in January there are "many signs, evaluations that with VAR the decisions are better and more fair".

But the clubs showed no appetite to move forward with the idea, fearful of the impact on the game for supporters as well as the cost of introducing it.

VAR is used in the second divisions in Spain, Italy and Germany. It was due to be added Ligue 2 in France too until the collapse of the TV rights deal saw it scrapped on financial grounds.

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What is Football Video Support?

Football Video Support (FVS) has been trialled for the past two years. It is intended for use in leagues which have fewer cameras and officials.

There is no actual VAR, only a replay operator presenting the match referee with camera angles at the pitchside monitor.

Each coach gets two challenges per match. If a challenge is successful, the manage keeps it.

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said earlier this year that FVS "reduces the amount of times when there is a VAR intervention and effectively puts the onus on the coach".

But it is not quite that simple.

While FVS does mean fewer checks, it is likely the game would stopped more often.

In the last two rounds of Premier League games, the referee went to the monitor just twice across the 20 games.

With FVS that could rise to four times per game - and potentially more if a coach has a challenge upheld.

Trials have been taking place in the third division of the men's game and the top flight of the women's game in Spain, and in Serie C in Italy.

It was expanded to the Canadian Premier League this month, but already there have been concerns about how it is used.

Pacific FC and Supra du Quebec were locked at 2-2 in injury time when the referee allowed a tackle by the home side's Joshua Belluz to go unpunished.

Supra du Quebec lodged a challenge for a straight red card to Belluz.

It was not a red-card foul but once at the monitor the referee had to take the correct disciplinary action. That was a yellow card and, as Belluz was already on a caution, he was dismissed.

Supra du Quebec lost their challenge, but they had used it tactically to get a player sent off. They then scored a winning goal in the added time caused by the review.