Scottish Senior Referees' Association is in favour of VAR, according to statement on the SFA website; Former top-level referee Howard Webb will present on the evolution of the technology since its inception in 2018
Thursday 7 October 2021 20:37, UK
A meeting will take place on Friday to discuss the possible implementation of VAR to Scottish football.
The Scottish FA and Scottish Professional Football League will co-host representatives of Premiership clubs at Hampden with a view to introducing the technology for all top-flight matches and the latter rounds of cup competitions.
A statement on the SFA website stated that the Scottish Senior Referees' Association is in favour of VAR and that the SFA is prepared to underwrite the training costs for match officials.
Former top-level referee Howard Webb, who was initially in charge of introducing VAR in the United States, will be at the meeting to present on the evolution of the technology since its inception in 2018.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: "VAR has been under discussion by the Scottish FA's Professional Game Board since its introduction into the Laws of the Game in 2018. Scottish football took the view that it was preferable to see the technology be refined, overcome inevitable teething problems and, naturally, become more cost-effective.
"VAR is here to stay and in a short period its implementation has advanced significantly, while its set-up and maintenance costs have reduced. We are now at the point where we need to discuss and ideally agree on its introduction into Scottish football.
"The Scottish FA believes it is necessary for the evolution of our domestic game, to provide additional support to our match officials and also to maximise their potential on the domestic, European and international stages."
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "Given the costs involved and the potential effects on the natural flow of the game, it was always a sensible decision to monitor the introduction of VAR in other competitions before considering implementation in the cinch Premiership.
"Now that there has been a meaningful bedding-in period in several leagues, now is a good time to look again at the benefits of the technology. We are keen to hear the views of the clubs, officials and fans and look forward to discussions over the next few months."
