Fans may be confused to see that VAR is only in use in a select few FA Cup third round ties this week.
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VAR being used in FA CupSystem not in place for all gamesOnly Premier League grounds have itWHAT HAPPENED?
Teams from all over the English pyramid – as low as sixth-tier Maidstone United – are in action in the FA Cup third round this week. As per FA Cup rules, VAR will be in use over the round of fixtures, but it will not be present in every match.
AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION
Only matches played at Premier League stadiums will have VAR available for these matches. The discrepancy is due to licensing issues, as even West Brom's stadium, where the technology has been in place previously, will not have it as the club are not in the English top-flight. That means that the games involving Brighton, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Manchester United will not be using VAR as they are away to teams outside the Premier League.
DID YOU KNOW?
VAR has been in use in the FA Cup since 2018 as part of a trial for the system, but the competition has never applied to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to have it fully in place. This would be a complicated and expensive issue to resolve as it would require VAR's introduction to stadiums throughout the English football pyramid.
WHAT NEXT?
The lack of VAR in every match will likely be an issue for the remainder of the competition and the costs needed to have it in place across the board may be too much for the Football Association to implement it properly any time soon.
