WANTED: PERFECT CALLS - PFL open to using VAR to

WANTED: PERFECT CALLS - PFL open to using VAR to | Daily Tribune

Challenging the referee’s decision can only be done by only being done by the head coaches of each squad and if successful, each coaches’ attempts will not be taken.

PFL commissioner Coco Torre told DAILY TRIBUNE that is something they need to study further but is open to the idea of it.

“For now, there’s no concrete discussion on what the direction is, whether it’s video support or VAR. But all I can say is, we are very open to adapting this kind of technological support to our officiating,” Torre said.

“But we couldn’t say if we opt to use FVS or just go for VAR because videos could not be sufficient enough that we could just resort to using VAR.”

Of course, all I’m saying is our current referees, they work hard to train, to study, to enhance themselves but definitely we want to equip them more by using this technology. So definitely the direction is towards adaptation of technology, if you ask me.”

VAR made an impact on the game when the whole world got to see it in action in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, allowing players and coaches alike to ask referees to have a second look at offenses.

Since then, top competitions such as the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League have used the VAR in the games, prompting various leagues around the world to use it as well.

VAR was also a crucial part in the Filipinas’ 1-0 win over New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the first for the Philippines in any World Cup competition.

Torre has seen how VAR worked during the three home games of Kaya FC-Iloilo in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Even the upcoming Shopee Cup, where Kaya will be playing, will have VAR as well.

Getting VAR to be implemented in the Philippines will be easier said than done as Malaysian site The Vibes reported last year that it costs around $5.4 million to have VAR in one season of the Malaysian Super League, which is roughly P317 million.

Still, Torre said he is open for suggestions in making sure that the PFL will be more advanced in officiating.

“For me, that will be the standard eventually because you can see that VAR is really valuable, especially in the league, our referees are only humans, right?” Torre said.

“We can never be 100 percent correct all the time. We don’t have any benefit in hindsight if there’s no VAR, right? So we can see the benefits, especially for non-calls, penalties, red cards, offsides, and so on.”