The Isuzu UTE A-League Men's 2023/24 Final Series will feature the debut of a live Video Assistant Referee (VAR) announcement process.
This innovation will enable fans to hear the centre referee declare their final decisions and rationale after conducting on-field and any lengthy factual reviews undertaken by VAR.
The A-Leagues will become the first league within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to implement this process, where this initiative aims to enhance transparency into the decision-making process undertaken by the match officials.
Football Australia CEO, James Johnson remarked: "As the first nation to adopt VAR in a top-tier national competition when we introduced it into the A-League in the 2016/17 season, Football Australia has always led globally in this space. We have continued to advocate globally for more innovation and this evolution marks a significant step forward in Football Australia's commitment to enhancing the clarity and the experience for the fans, players, coaches, and match officials.
"As we saw during last year's FIFA Women's World Cup where the same process and technology was introduced for the first time, we are confident that this new communication layer will improve the understanding of VAR decisions, positively impact the overall experience, and increase transparency in the process."
Commenting on the introduction, A-Leagues Commissioner, Nick Garcia said: "It's exciting to be able to introduce this technology with Football Australia in time for the Isuzu UTE A-League Men Finals Series to bring fans closer to the game we all love, whether they are in the stadium or watching from home.
"This technology will add more transparency to the referees' decision-making process to give fans, players and coaches more insight on matchday, and what better stage to have this ready for than our 2024 Final Series."
The process will activate primarily when an on-field reviews occurs, which is where the referee reviews incidents directly from the pitch-side monitor. Upon completion of a review, the referee will signal using the 'TV' signal. Subsequently, the referee's microphone will be activated, allowing both stadium attendees and broadcast viewers to hear the rationale for the decision before it is officially confirmed on the field. When a factual review takes significant time before a decision is made, the referee will also make an announcement to explain the rationale.
Nathan Magill, Football Australia's Head of Referees added: "This initiative is something Football Australia has been looking to introduce for a few seasons as we believe it is important for the game's stakeholders, particularly the fans at the ground or watching from afar, to be across the thought process of the match officials in such situations.
"In preparation, our referees have undergone extensive training throughout the season to ensure they are well-prepared to implement this new system consistently and effectively. Their training has included developing clear communication skills and consistently applying communication during match scenarios."
This process will come into play from the first Isuzu UTE A-League Men's Elimination Final this Saturday evening between Sydney FC and Macarthur FC, followed by Sunday's Elimination Final featuring Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City.
Football Australia and the Australian Professional Leagues can confirm that the VAR system will not be used during the Liberty A-League Women's Grand Final this Saturday, due to the VAR system having not been used at any stage during the 2023/24 season.
