Championship clubs have decisively voted against introducing any form of video assistant referee system for the 2024-25 season, effectively halting discussions on the controversial technology in England's second-tier football league.
At the EFL's annual meeting last month, Professional Game Match Officials presented Football Video Support (FVS)—a streamlined VAR alternative requiring fewer resources that grants each coach two challenges per match. Despite this proposal, feedback from clubs revealed overwhelming opposition to video review systems at this level.
BBC Sport understands the idea is closed for the foreseeable future and unlikely to be resurrected by clubs in a year's time.
While some Championship managers had publicly advocated for VAR implementation, citing officiating inconsistencies, club representatives expressed concerns about financial costs and potential negative impacts on matchday experiences for supporters. The decision maintains the status quo where only Goal Line Technology will continue in the Championship, with a cost analysis pending before a June vote on extending it to League One.
Interestingly, several European second divisions—including those in Spain, Italy, and Germany—already utilize VAR systems. France's Ligue 2 had planned to implement VAR until television rights negotiations collapsed, forcing its abandonment on financial grounds.
What is Football Video Support?
Football Video Support represents a modified approach trialed over two years specifically designed for leagues with limited camera coverage and officiating resources. Unlike traditional VAR with dedicated video officials, FVS employs only a replay operator who provides camera angles to the match referee at pitchside monitors. Coaches receive two challenges per game, retaining successful appeals.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham previously noted that FVS "reduces the amount of times when there is a VAR intervention and effectively puts the onus on the coach." However, the system's implementation proves more complex than this description suggests, involving significant operational considerations that Championship clubs ultimately deemed unsuitable for their competition.