FA chief Bullingham says there is no reason to extend power of VAR

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham has said there is no reason to expand the use of VAR, arguing that the current system already causes enough stoppages during matches.

His comments come amid speculation that the International Football Association Board (Ifab), the body responsible for football’s laws, may be asked to consider extending VAR’s remit to include incidents such as corners and second yellow cards.

The FA, which holds a seat on the board alongside FIFA and the other British football associations, has now made its stance clear.

“We don’t think there’s any need to extend the use of VAR,” Bullingham said.

“There are regular discussions in Ifab about what VAR should be, and how it should move forward. I think our position is that we’re in a good place now.

“Of course if someone brings an item forward for Ifab to consider, then as a group we’ll consider it. But as a group we don’t necessarily think that VAR needs to be extended at the moment.”

When asked to explain the reasoning behind this position, he added: “We think there’s enough interruptions to the game in the current model.”

At present, VAR is only used to assist referees with decisions involving goals, penalties, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. Other calls, such as corners and free-kicks, remain solely under the control of on-field officials.

Some in the game have argued that a wider use of VAR could help improve decision-making accuracy.

FIFA’s referees chief Pierluigi Collina had previously said in 2023 that an expanded use of VAR could be explored, though he emphasised it must not come at the cost of increased delays.

According to multiple sources, Ifab has not yet received any formal proposal to widen the scope of VAR, and several board members are expected to oppose any such move if it is brought forward at the annual meeting in November.

Any changes to the laws of the game would be voted on at Ifab’s Annual General Meeting, scheduled for March in Cardiff.

Each of the four British associations holds one vote, while FIFA controls four, with a three-quarters majority required to pass any new motion.

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