The reason why Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not utilized during Manchester United’s FA Cup match against Leicester City has been disclosed.
On Friday night, United secured their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup in a dramatic fashion.
Under the floodlights at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim’s team faced boos from the crowd at half-time after Bobby Decordova-Reid gave Leicester a 1-0 lead. ..Continue Reading
In the second half, Joshua Zirkzee equalized in the 68th minute, and Harry Maguire scored a winning header deep into stoppage time.
However, replays indicated that Maguire might have been in an offside position when Bruno Fernandes took the free-kick.
Fortunately for United, VAR was not in use to disallow the goal.
In previous FA Cup seasons, VAR was used in the third and fourth rounds for matches played at Premier League grounds.
However, before the 2024/25 season, the rules were changed, and VAR is now only used from the fifth round onward.
As reported by The Sun, a statement from the FA said: “Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only be used in the 2024-25 Emirates FA Cup from the Fifth Round onwards.
“It has been agreed that VAR will be utilised for every match in the Fifth Round of the competition through to the Final at Wembley Stadium, and will not be in operation for the Third and Fourth Rounds.”
The statement added: “VAR has only been used in the Emirates FA Cup previously for matches at Wembley Stadium and at Premier League grounds due to the infrastructure, workforce and costs that are required for its operation.
“This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”
Man United will be back in action next weekend when they take on Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
