Video referees in soccer could be trialled first in Australia

Football, or soccer, has yet to use video referees thanks to FIFA's long-held concerns about its impact to the flow to the game.

This is set to change as the International Football Association Board (IFAB) said it wants to see video assistant referees trialled by the 2017-18 season at the latest, at a meeting in Cardiff, Wales on Saturday. 

Video replays will apply to "game-changing" incidents such as goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and mistaken identity. 

Controversial moments such as French international Thierry Henry's handball leading to a goal against Ireland at the UEFA World Cup qualifier in 2009, or that wrong red card against Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs in 2015 -- could be a thing of the past.

Australia, one of the 12 national associations that have expressed interest in trials, could have the technology first. Chief executive of Football Federation Australia David Gallop welcomed the IFAB's decision and wants the nation's league to take the lead in these trials.

"In our view, the A-League would provide an ideal environment, given that the Australian TV industry has years of experience and technology know-how in this area," Gallop told the Herald Sun on Monday.

"We spoke to IFAB officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Congress in Zurich last week and we will be contacting IFAB and FIFA again this week to press Australia’s credentials to be at the forefront of this exciting development," he added.

The video assistant referee will be located off the pitch, with the game's main referee having the choice to accept their decision reviewing it themselves, according to plans by FIFA.

Refereeing that's error-free, may be coming soon to a match near you.

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