In an innovative move, the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), has introduced a six-official system as an alternative to the traditional Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Despite their lower rank in global football (180), Cambodia is striving to improve its game by exploring cost-effective alternatives to enhance decision-making on the field. This system consists of three referees, a fourth official, and two Additional Assistant Referees (AARs), offering a more affordable solution than the expensive VAR.
The AARs are placed near the goal-lines to help decide if the ball has completely crossed the goal-line. This development comes at a time when many football associations and leagues struggle with the high costs of implementing VAR, which has been a challenge for smaller leagues and nations. The FFC’s initiative shows that improving officiating doesn’t necessarily have to come at a hefty price tag, it can also come through brainstorming.
The financial burden of VAR implementation has been evident in several leagues worldwide. In India, the cost of integrating VAR into the Indian Super League (ISL) was estimated to be around Rupees 25-30 crore for a five-year period (ISL Feasibility Report, 2023), a significant investment that has yet to be prioritised despite the number of controversial refereeing decisions that have plagued the competition.
Similarly, in South Africa, the initial cost for VAR in the BetWay Premiership was around 70-80 million South African Rand, with an additional cost of R70,000 per game (SAFA Reports, 2022), a financial outlay that many leagues might not be able to sustain. Other countries like Malaysia and England have also faced steep costs in implementing VAR, with Malaysia estimating an expenditure of 9.7 million Ringgit (Malaysian Football League, 2023) and the English Football League reporting £12.26 million annually for VAR in the Championship (English Football League Reports, 2022). These figures highlight the daunting financial implications of adopting VAR, especially for leagues with limited resources.
Amid these challenges, alternatives to VAR have been explored, with one such system being Football Video Support (FVS). FVS was first tested during the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup and has since been implemented in various FIFA youth competitions. Unlike VAR, which operates through continuous monitoring by video assistants, FVS allows coaches or team officials to request a review of specific incidents during the match.
After a coach initiates a review, a video operator presents footage to the referee, who can then make an informed decision on issues such as goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity. Each team is allowed two challenges per match, making it a more manageable and cost-effective alternative to VAR.
In addition to Cambodia’s six-official system, which is perhaps the most economical alternative because it requires no technology as such and FVS, Bhutan has also experimented with a modified version of VAR known as VAR Lite. This approach offers a scaled-back version of VAR, providing video assistance only for key moments of the game, but at a significantly lower cost than full VAR implementation. This has been another creative solution for smaller nations and leagues to improve their officiating standards without incurring the financial burden of full-scale VAR.
For the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Cambodian Federation’s six-official system, combined with other alternatives like FVS, presents an opportunity to enhance officiating in the Indian Super League. With refereeing mistakes continuing to impact the game’s outcome, as seen in several high-profile howlers in the ongoing ISL season (RevSportz, 2024), the AIFF could look to these more affordable and innovative solutions to improve the quality of officiating in Indian football. By adopting such systems, the AIFF could address the growing demand for fairness and accuracy in the game without the financial strain that full VAR implementation might impose.
