SANTiago, Chile (AP) – FIFA is using an alternative review system that allows coaches to appeal to two referee decisions per match at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
Football Video Support (FVS) is a “simplified version” of VAR, transforming the youth tournament into a testing ground for new technology.
Cards that differ between blue and purple are held by the coach responsible for review requests.
At the group stage, its use has proven important, defining the course of several matches played in cities of Santiago, Valparaiso, Lancagua and Talca. The system was played out in more than a dozen matches early in the tournament.
The FVS was first used when South Korean coach Lee Chang Wong first used the card during the opening match against Ukraine. He challenged the penalty, but the request was ultimately removed by the judge.
Since then, the review system has played a role in several matches. Of the 12 games in the first round of the group stage, “Light VAR” was used in seven.
After a handball review by Nigerian defender Ahmed Ahkiniele, Norway’s 1-0 victory over Nigeria proved decisive.
The FVS also banned goals in Argentina’s 4-1 victory over Australia. This is a review that dismisses Sakkaru’s goal of unity.
Mexico’s use of the system helped reverse the penalty decision in a match that tied Spain 2-2. It also kicked Korean striker Hyun O Kim and then Paraguayan winger Enseo Gonzalez became the red card.
How does FV work?
Unlike VARs, which use special cameras and support team official teams, the FVS referee reviews decisions without further assistance based on images captured by television broadcasts.
According to World Football’s dominant organization FIFA, the FVS system aims to “democratize football by introducing video review technology as a complementary option” for competitions that “cannot afford Var infrastructure thanks to low cost and simplified operations.”
Coaches can only appeal in four specific situations. Whether there was a goal. If you suspect that there was a penalty, you were hit by a direct red card, or that the card did not appear to the correct criminal.
The system has already been tested by FIFA in other tournaments, including the 2024 Youth Championship/Blue Stars in Switzerland and the Under 2025 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, and is expected to expand into other youth categories.
Lack of consensus
Some praised the system, while others expressed disgust.
“It’s a good tool to avoid constantly stopping the game,” Chilean manager Nicholas Cordova said after a 2-0 defeat against Japan.
However, some fans have criticised the long wait before a decision is made.
“In a game like this, there was an extra 10 minutes as they stopped all the way to review something that clearly didn’t happen,” Brazil’s Fantiagodias said after their country’s 2-1 defeat against Morocco.
Some coaches, such as Morocco’s Mohamed Warbi, said they would use the tool extensively, regardless of whether there was a violation or not.
“We have options, so we use cards. We have two cards and we need to use them,” says Ouahbi.
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