Premier League WON’T be able to alter offside and handball rules with VAR as

On Jul 10, 2020

Premier League WON’T be able to alter controversial offside and handball rules with VAR as legendary referee Pierluigi Collina’s FIFA board take full control of the system to fall in line with the rest of the world

FIFA have announced they are taking full control of VAR from next season
The Premier League had previously been able to use flexibility with decisions
Pierluigi Collina wants the system to be used in the same way across the world
This will mean changes to both the controversial offside and handball rules

Published: 05:43 EDT, 9 July 2020 | Updated: 13:02 EDT, 9 July 2020

FIFA are set to take control over all VAR-related activities meaning the Premier League will lose its power to implement flexibility.

Former Italian referee Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referee’s Committee, will now oversee the system and has made it clear he wants it to be used in the same way across the world.

The decision means there will be changes to the offside and handball rules as well as the use of VAR in determining whether a goalkeeper has moved off their line.

Former referee and FIFA chief Pierluigi Collina will oversee the use of VAR across the world

The Premier League had previously been able to use flexibility when implementing rules

As reported in The Times, the organisation sent a letter to national associations and governing bodies saying they had taken control from the International FA Board (IFAB), the game’s law-making body.

The letter said: ‘All VAR-related activities will now transfer to Fifa. Therefore, please address all your VAR-related questions, comments or suggestions directly to Fifa Refereeing.’

Collina will take over from the IFAB’s technical director David Elleray, an English former referee.

Referees will also be made to use pitch-side monitors more often to review their decisions

The league had already been forced to make referees consult pitch-side monitors more often next season, as demonstrated by Chris Kavanagh when he reviewed Eddie Nketiah’s foul on Monday before deciding to send the Arsenal man off.

But there are set to be more alterations. One of these will be the use of VAR to determine whether a goalkeeper has moved off their line before a penalty kick has been taken.

This was seen in the Women’s World Cup last summer when Scotland’s Lee Alexander originally saved a spot-kick against Argentina before it was re-taken and subsequently converted after VAR ruled she had moved off her line.

The Premier League had resisted using VAR in these circumstances, instead opting for a common sense approach.

The Premier League had resisted using VAR to judge whether a goalkeeper moved off their line

Defenders have also been given more leeway when the ball has struck their hand in the penalty area but there will be less scope for this under the new laws.

VAR has not been short of controversy in its debut season with criticism over marginal…