This would make a big difference to the Premier League if implemented.
Technical director of PGMOL, Howard Webb, has revealed that a rule change suggested by Roy Keane is currently being trialled by FIFA.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick To Football, Webb opened up about the ups and downs of being a Premier League referee and discussed the potential changes to the professional level that could improve the game.
In a previous episode of The Overlap: On Tour, Keane suggested that a team should have one challenge in a match similar to what happens in the likes of tennis and cricket.
In both tennis and cricket, teams/players are allowed a limited number of unsuccessful challenges, but successful ones – where the initial decision is overturned – are unlimited. And according to Webb, football’s rule-makers are looking to adopt a similar structure.
In May, FIFA announced plans to trial a challenge system, stipulating that it should be used in situations involving goals, penalties, red cards, and cases of mistaken identity only.
During the conversation with Webb, Neville said: “We went on a trip a few weeks ago, and we were talking about rule changes in the game, and Roy’s was about having one challenge. Like in cricket, you have three challenges [but] Roy was thinking, rather than every decision being challenged, just have one coach’s challenge or captain’s challenge.
“Basically, one per half for each coach or each captain… you maybe give them five seconds or 10 seconds to sort of give a signal [to the referee]… so you’re no re-reffing the whole game, you’ve just got a challenge each half.”
Webb responded to the suggestion by saying: “We’d only really know [if it would work] if we see it in practice. Interestingly enough, at the moment there’s the U-17s Women’s World Cup, and we’ve just finished the U-20s Women’s World Cup in Colombia – they’re using this on trial. So each coach has two challenges a game.
“They’re using this on trial, ” Webb added. “So each coach has two challenges a game.”
At this point, the ex-Premier League referee was interrupted by Ian Wright, who slapped Keane on the arm and joked: “You’re wasted here!”
Keane replied: “I am wasted here! I should be working for Fifa or something.”
Jill Scott then added: “Can you imagine Roy, head of Fifa?”
Webb went on to boldly claim that there have only been two VAR errors so far this season, a significant reduction on the number recorded at this time a year ago.
He said: “I don’t think we managed expectations well in terms of VAR. We knew it was always going to be a situation where it was going to do well on those clear situations, the ones where you think, ‘That’s clearly wrong on first view’.
“We have this independent panel which has got ex-players on it, and they judge each decision each week, and according to the panel there has only been two VAR errors this season compared to 10 at the same time last year.
“We’ve been better at hitting the mark but that can change and we’re not going to get complacent, but it’s been better. For me, the biggest thing of all is that it’s been quicker.
“The average delay last season through VAR was 70 seconds per game and this year it’s 25 seconds.
“I said to the guys, ‘Don’t ponder for too long, if you see a situation that jumps off the screen then get involved, but if you’re having to think about it too much then just say check complete because we’ll leave it with the referee on the field’. That’s why the term, ‘Referee’s call’ is useful.”
