VAR trial set for Brighton-Palace FA Cup 3rd-round introduction

The English Football Association announced Wednesday that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used when Brighton & Hove Albion hosts Crystal Palace in an FA Cup third-round clash on Jan. 8.

It marks the first time VAR will be used at a competitive match in England after it was given a trial run for a pair of Three Lions international friendlies against Germany and Brazil, according to a statement from the FA.

The intent is that the technology will then be used for select matches over the remainder of the tournament.

"The FA has always been open to trialling new innovations and was heavily involved in the advancement of goal-line technology before it was introduced," FA director of professional game relations Andy Ambler said Wednesday.

"The trialling of the VAR system in this season’s Emirates FA Cup from the third round is a continuation of that and further demonstrates that whilst being the most famous and historic domestic cup competition in the world it is also modern, progressive and innovative,"

Match officials can use VAR to determine goal calls, cases of mistaken identity, red cards, and penalties. The technology has already been employed in top-flight divisions in Italy, Germany, and Portugal, and in Major League Soccer, where it was introduced mid-season.