As the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) makes its World Cup debut, FIFA Referees Committee Chairman, Pierluigi Collina has told assistant referees at the World Cup to keep their flag down for tight offside calls to enable VAR to make the correct decision.
Speaking at the World Cup referees media briefing on Tuesday, former referee Collina said, “They were told to keep the flag down when there is a tight offside incident and there could be a very promising attack or a goal-scoring opportunity because if the assistant referee raises the flag then everything is finished. If you see some assistant referee not raising the flag it’s not because he’s making mistakes, it’s because he’s respected the instruction to keep the flag down,” Collina added.
In March, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had confirmed that VAR would be used in Russia, having been used in Germany and Italy and trialled in some domestic English cup games last season.