Premier League

VAR may be banned when football returns over social distances rules

The officials in the box may be unable to stay the sufficient distance apart, leading to its usage being suspended

2:22pm on Wednesday 22nd April 2020
By
Team FC

Governing bodies across Europe are considering restarting their competitions without the intervention of VAR, for fear that its usage could break social distancing rules in the wake of COVID-19.

As leagues plan their returns, with a whole host of different approaches to the crisis being mooted, the idea of playing matches behind closed doors with a minimum number of personnel required for the event to take place is likely a reality.

But according to French publication RMC Sport, leagues are grappling with the idea of whether to use VAR when the football does return.

VAR may be seen as an unnecessary risk to take when trying to resume, with on-pitch officials capable of making the majority of decisions.

Furthermore, social distancing measures could be impinged as the operators gather around the office screens to assess the decisions more closely.

Discussion of creating a plexiglass screen to place in between the officials has been mooted, but may be seen as a needless task in order to ensure that fixtures can be completed.

Uefa are considering completing the 2019/20 Champions League across a 17-day period in the month of August.

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