Trials of video assistant referees "have shown that a lengthy review that interrupts the game only occurs once every three matches," boosting the chances the system will be used during the 2018 World Cup, according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. The latest results will be presented to the Int'l FA Board's technical panel at a meeting in Zurich on Tuesday. The IFAB will decide in March whether to allow VAR systems or to have "another year of trials." IFAB Technical Dir David Elleray said that an approach of "minimum interference" by the VARs was working and "still picking up clear mistakes by officials." VARs "have also been able to make swift decisions on obvious incidents" such as offsides. Elleray said, "A crucial point is that the fears that video replays would interrupt the flow of the game have not been realized." He believes the reason that this is the case is that "only game-changing decisions can be reviewed" for incidents such as penalties, offsides and red cards, "and there can only be a review for clear errors." Elleray: "Those who are instinctively against it were worried that it would turn into American football, with every decision reviewed by an umpire. ... It is not about perfect decision-making, it is to stop clear unfairness and when decisions are clearly wrong. Decisions are being checked all the time but it is rare that the game is actually stopped for a review." The experimental phase "has moved into a new era this season" with Serie A, the Bundesliga and Major League Soccer "embracing the chance to have a trial of the system" (LONDON TIMES, 9/11).
