Football’s lawmakers to hold further talks on video replays

Football’s lawmakers will continue to discuss potential trials involving video technology for match officials, writes Sky Sports' chief news reporter Bryan Swanson.

The two panels set up to advise the International Football Association Board (IFAB) held a two-day meeting in London this week and agreed to hold further talks later this year over whether to recommend a live experiment.

Representatives of the Football Association, SFA, Irish FA and FIFA also attended the meetings, chaired by the Football Association of Wales, in a hotel at Heathrow airport.

The Dutch FA gave a presentation on trials they have been conducting offline.

The latest debate was described as a ‘tricky topic - but productive’ by one official at the meeting.

The FA and SFA are strongly in favour of additional technology in the game, but there are reservations from FIFA, the Football Association of Wales and the Irish FA, who welcome further dialogue.

FIFA alone cannot change the laws of football.

The panel members advise IFAB’s decision-makers and have been selected because of their playing and refereeing experience. 

There are nine members of the Football Advisory Panel including Shaka Hislop, Christian Karembeu and Richard Jobson.

Fourteen officials comprise the Technical Advisory Panel including Pierluigi Collina, UEFA Head of Refereeing, David Elleray and the SFA’s John Fleming.

There will be a further debate over a fourth substitute in extra time after advisory panel members agreed it was ‘very difficult to decide’ without seeing more data and statistics.

Football’s lawmakers will meet again in October to assess further research on the topics.

IFAB consists of representatives from the UK’s four British associations and four representatives from FIFA.

The laws of the game are reviewed once a year at an annual general meeting.  

The 130th IFAB AGM will take place in Cardiff on March 4-6 next year.