The Taça da Liga (League Cup) semi-finals and final at the Algarve Stadium, Faro have been chosen to test the experimentation of the video assistant referee (VAR), organised by the IFAB (International Board) and FIFA.
VARs represent one of the greatest potential technological changes to the Laws of the Game but would only be used for clear errors in match-changing situations.
Thirteen national federations/competition organisers are currently participating in the process, in more than 15 competitions (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, USA and FIFA).
The Portuguese League Cup semi-finals and finals next January at the Algarve Stadium will take on added interest as the new technology is put through its paces. The final decision on the possible introduction of the VAR in football competitions will be taken in 2018/2019.
