Shropshire Star

VAR in place for Carabao Cup semis and final

The system will be used for the first time in an EFL competition.

Published

The video assistant referee (VAR) will be used for this month’s Carabao Cup semi-finals and the final in March, the English Football League has announced.

VAR will be introduced for the first time in EFL fixtures for the two-legged semi-finals – Manchester United v Manchester City and Leicester v Aston Villa, with the first legs on January 7 and 8 respectively.

“Video Assistant Referee will be in operation for the four semi-finals and Wembley final in this year’s Carabao Cup,” the EFL said in a statement.

“Fans in the stadium will be kept abreast of in-game developments with the same notification process and protocols put in place for supporters as has been used throughout the 2019-20 Premier League season.”

The EFL said that for the remaining Carabao Cup ties VAR, based remotely at Stockley Park, will assist the referee in only four match-changing situations – goals, penalty/no penalty decisions, direct red cards shown or not shown (second yellow cards cannot be reviewed) and mistaken identity.

The second legs of the semi-finals will see Villa play Leicester at home on January 28 and a return Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium the following day. The final will be played at Wembley on March 1.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.