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FIGC proposes VAR system that allows players to challenge calls

Tullio M. Puglia / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Rome, Feb 13, 2020 (AFP) - Italy's football authorities revealed on Thursday that it had asked FIFA to experiment with a VAR system that allows players to request decisions be reviewed, similar to tennis and cricket.

In a statement, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said it had made the appeal to football's global governing body to review the games' system of video refereeing after receiving requests from "numerous Serie A clubs in recent weeks".

The FIGC added it had told FIFA that it was ready to experiment in top division Serie A with "challenges", appeals for the referee to carry out an on-field review of an incident.

The body also said that it had asked the head of Serie A's refereeing commission, Nicola Rizzoli, to encourage officials to "intensify" on-field reviews for controversial incidents.

Serie A adopted VAR in 2017, before the technology was permanently written into the rules of the game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in March the following year.

The system is broadly popular in Italy, unlike in England where fans of Premier League clubs have been angered by razor-thin offside decisions and the slowing down of play.

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