Hong Kong to bring in VAR this season, football bosses call it ‘important step’ towards hosting big events
- HKFA says a new video referee system will be introduced by the start of the 2023-24 season to improve key decisions
- Football chief Joaquin Tam said the implementation of VAR was is an important milestone for football development in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Football Association is hoping the introduction of a video assistant referee (VAR) system will give the city an edge when competing for large-scale football events.
The new system, to be introduced in stages from the start of the new season in July, aims to improve the accuracy of critical decisions in refereeing around four key areas – allowing/disallowing goals, penalty decisions, direct red card decisions and awarding a red or yellow card.
Since the official use of VAR at the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia, the technology has been widely introduced in major domestic leagues and international tournaments, with the accuracy of key match decisions being improved to almost 99 per cent.
The association said its introduction would be an important step towards further development of football and refereeing in Hong Kong.
“The technology will not only help improve the accuracy of game-changing decisions to uphold fairness of the matches, but also promote Hong Kong’s refereeing standards,” the HKFA said in a statement.
“With improper and violent behaviour subject to the scrutiny of VAR, the conduct of players is expected to improve which as well will promote the image of football in Hong Kong.”
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The Asian Football Confederation has adopted VAR in various competitions, with many of its member associations having already adopted or are planning to introduce it into their domestic competitions.
Joaquin Tam, the HKFA chief executive, called the technology’s implementation an important milestone for football development in the city.
“Not only will the competition elements be improved, the upgrade of equipment will also enhance the quality of broadcast, attract more commercial sponsors and allow Hong Kong to host large-scale football events, creating cross-sector synergy.”
Funding for the new initiative was provided by the Home Affairs Bureau, with guidance from Fifa. Tam said the government’s support would allow the governing body to purchase, rent and hire the technology needed to kick-start the project.
“We will then conduct trials at selected matches and cup competitions in the coming season, with a view to fully implement VAR in the 2023-2024 season,” he said.
Separately, the HKFA said it had been handed about HK$3 million by the government to help the city’s Premier League clubs recover from the financial pressure caused by the cancellation of the 2021-2022 season because of the fifth wave of the coronavirus in Hong Kong.
In a statement, the association said it was “thankful for the Home Affairs Bureau’s long-term commitment” to supporting the game in the city.
“The funding provided by the bureau will cover the cost of training and match operations incurred by the eight HKPL clubs in the 2021-2022 season,” it said.
