Ifab may loosen approach to trials of new rules
World Cup could see first trial use of VAR for corners
Football’s lawmakers are exploring the possibility of allowing tournaments to run their own trials of new rules, which could lead to VAR being used to adjudicate on corner kicks at next summer’s World Cup.
Under the change the International Football Association Board (Ifab) would allow more short-term trials as an alternative to the system whereby major tournaments largely introduce measures only after they have been trialled, usually in minor leagues or tournaments.
If taken up, next summer’s 48-team World Cup could be the first to try the use of VAR to adjudicate on corners, with the technology used to assess whether the ball had fully crossed the line or which team had last touched the ball. There is appetite for the trial within the corridors of power, where it has been framed as introducing a safety net against the possibility of an incorrectly awarded set-piece influencing the outcome of an important match, such as the World Cup final.
