The SAFF Championships is set to make history by introducing the remote Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for its semifinals and final in Dhaka, marking a significant step towards enhancing refereeing standards in South Asian football.

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships semifinal between defending champions India and Bhutan in Dhaka on Saturday will see the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for the first time in the tournament, in a bid to bring the competition in line with international refereeing standards.

Remote VAR System Debuts At SAFF Championships

However, it is a remote version of the VAR technology that will be implemented during the semi-finals and final on November 17 at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

Under the remote VAR system, live match footage from the venue will be transmitted to a centralized VAR operations hub in Thailand, where certified Video Match Officials (VMO) will review the incidents and assist the on-field referees in accordance with the IFAB VAR Protocol.

Decisions and recommendations from the VAR team will be communicated directly to the match officials in Dhaka.

Operational Details And Cost Of Remote VAR

"We are trying to raise the profile of the SAFF Championships, so the use of remote VAR is towards that direction. Let us see, we are hoping that there would not be any glitches," SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel told PTI from Dhaka.

"This Remote VAR is not much different from the on-site VAR. All the ASEAN Championships matches used remote VAR with the centralized VAR operations hub located in Thailand. So, we are doing the same," he added.

SAFF has collaborated with the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), the regional association of Southeast Asian countries.

The system is being operated by Quality, a FIFA-certified technology provider based in Spain, with its central operations in Thailand, and is renowned for delivering VAR solutions across international football competitions.

"We could have brought the equipment (from Thailand) to Dhaka but it would be costlier. This remote VAR will still cost us USD 800-900 per match," Kattel said.

"We have installed a fully equipped Referee Review Area (RRA) and Technical Operations Team Area Monitor (TOTAM) at the National Stadium (in Dhaka). Technical experts from Quality are working on-site to ensure the seamless transmission and operation of the VAR infrastructure."

Asked whether there could a time lag in the communication between the centralized VAR operations hub in Thailand and the officials in Dhaka, he said, "I don't think so. For example, the distance between Bangkok and Indonesia (a Southeast Asian country) must be more than distance between Bangkok and Dhaka.

"If they are using it in ASEAN Championships, it should not be a problem in SAFF Championships. Only thing is that, we need a strong internet to use the system glitch-free."

Moreover, all the selected referees and assistant referees assigned to the semi-finals and final are certified and trained in VAR procedures.

India's Semifinal Challenge And VAR's Indian History

The VAR system has not yet been used in the domestic leagues in India. But the system has been used in India twice earlier.

The first one was from the quarter-final stage of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Pune and Navi Mumbai under the bio-bubble due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The second instance was during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2022. The VAR made its full debut across the host venues in Bhubaneswar, Navi Mumbai and Goa.

Meanwhile, nine-time India champions India would start as favourites against Bhutan in the semifinals, despite fielding a second-rung team. They would look to continue their unbeaten run in the tournament, after topping Group B with wins over Pakistan (3-2) and Maldives (1-0).

Bhutan, on the other hand, finished second in Group A with one draw and one loss. They were level on one point with Sri Lanka but made it to the semifinals on better goal difference.

Hosts Bangladesh, who topped Group A with two wins in two matches, will face Pakistan in the second semifinal, also on Saturday.

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