ISL 2019 BREAKING: VAR set to be introduced amid series of refereeing controversies

Video assistant referees (VAR) are set to be introduced in the Indian Super League (ISL) for the first time amid a series of controversies regarding refereeing decisions.

As per a report in TalkSport24x7, the landmark decision will be announced on Thursday by Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL) chairperson Nita Ambani.

The standard of refereeing in ISL has come under criticism quite a number of times in the past, but the opening few weeks of the new season saw some really glaring mistakes that left coaches, players and fans fuming.

“While the overall standard of the ISL has gone up, the standard of refereeing has not. We see incredible situations with referees that you normally cannot see in professional football. Refereeing is a big problem. This is something that ISL CEO Martin Bain should look at and try to improve,” Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat had said after a match.

Chennaiyin FC boss John Gregory had also blasted the refereeing decisions following a defeat. He had said, "It was unbelievable, the lack of a decision by both the referee and the linesman, it was a clear-cut penalty. For me, if that referee made that kind of mistake in Europe, you’d never see him again in the top league."

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VAR was recently introduced for the first time in the Premier League but even then, some of the decisions taken on the basis of the technology have come under scrutiny. If indeed it is introduced, the refereeing mistakes in the ISL should be ironed out to some extent but it remains to be seen how it is implemented.