Will England Praise or Curse VAR in Russia?

Last updated : 24 May 2018 By Three Lions

Despite mixed results from a season of trials around the globe, FIFA have pressed ahead with implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for this summer's World Cup despite the potential for their flagship tournament to be overshadowed by controversy and confusion as decisions are debated and delayed.

A detailed guide on the 2018 World Cup website gives you all the information you could possibly need on how VAR will work in Russia, the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow being the hub where feeds from each of the stadiums are fed through to.

Gareth Southgate has professed to being against the use of video technology while pragmatically accepting that it is here to stay but hoping for better communication of decisions to supporters in the stadium.

His side were on the receiving end of a VAR decision in March's friendly against Italy when the referee consulted the system late on at Wembley and awarded the visitors the penalty which levelled the scores at 1-1.

"For me, the two things [about VAR] are whether it is 'clear and obvious' and to have a better way of communicating what has happened and why for the spectators in the stadium," he said after the Italy game.