England’s top-flight soccer clubs have voted against the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) for the 2018-19 season and the Premier League will continue advanced testing to iron out issues with the system.
VAR’s trial in English domestic cup matches has so far received mixed reviews, with fans complaining that they were being left in the dark when decisions were made.
“Premier League clubs have today agreed to continue advanced testing of VAR throughout the 2018-19 season,” the Premier League said in a statement on Friday.
The decision came after comprehensive discussions regarding the progress made in VAR trials in English football, it said, adding that lessons had also been drawn from the many other competitions using the system.
The Premier League has asked that VAR be used more extensively in the FA Cup and LeagueCup next season.
“The clubs agreed that advanced testing will continue to the end of season 2018-19 to make further improvements … especially around communication inside the stadium and for those following at home and around the world.”
FIFA has said that VAR will be used at this year’s World Cup tournament in Russia after the system was approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB.