VAR set for A-League Women's next season to bring it in line with the A-League Men's

The A-Leagues have told The Canberra Times it wants to have VAR in effect across the ALW next season. Two further elements to bring it in line with the A-League Men's - independent match review panels and a full home and away season - however, are yet to be given the green light.

The VAR has caused major controversy in the men's competition this year, with some club officials calling for it to be scrapped after frustrating decisions and delays.

VAR was introduced to the men's game in 2017 in Australia, making the ALM the first top-level domestic league to use it. Now it's used across top leagues and international events, including the Tokyo 2020 and the women's AFC Asian Cup.

It was believed to cost ALM clubs about $100,000 a season to run but an A-Leagues spokesperson did not confirm how much it would cost to implement in the ALW.

Instead they said they recognised the opportunity to implement VAR in the ALW.

"We look forward to working with all our partners and stakeholders on this important project to ensure that our women's football continues to grow and improve well into the future," they said.

"As the current season is underway, the A-Leagues will assess the implementation process with the aim of having VAR in effect across the league next season."

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ALW added Wellington Phoenix to the competition and vowed two more teams would join the competition by 2023, and promised a full home-and-away fixture was on the cards in future.

No date has been set for it to be incorporated yet and an independent review panel, which allows ALM players to appeal card decisions or suspensions, is also waiting in the wings for the ALW.

The Professional Footballers Australia co-chief executive Kathryn Gill said the consistent application of standards across the game would be the only path to true equality.

"With the use of VAR in major global tournaments and domestic leagues overseas adopting the technology, there is an inevitability that our women's competition will explore its introduction. Importantly, we hope to be able to incorporate the players' voice and feedback on its implementation in any discussions with the APL and FA," she said.

"Parallel to those discussions should be implementing changes to the A-League Women disciplinary regulations to ensure an independent match review panel is convened."

VAR is used to review match-changing situations such as goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards and mistaken identity, alongside other things such as offsides and free-kicks.

The technology has been heavily criticised by fans, coaches and players in the ALM for disrupting the 'flow of the game' but the ALW has been left out of the conversation and not given the opportunity to use at all in order to review decisions.

Canberra United has walked away victors and fallen to a few decisions this season regarding penalties and offside. And United's head coach Vicki Linton welcomed the prospect of VAR in the league next season.

She also echoed Gill's calls for an independent match review panel, and added she wanted a full home and away season too.

"If it's used in the ALM, then I think it's appropriate that it's used in the ALW," she said.

"I think that's a really important to see that that's going to be included in the ALW moving forward, it's technology that's used now across the world and in club and international level.

"As a fan watching leagues like the English Premier League, in some ways it causes further discussion and controversy. So what I've kind of garnered from its implementation is the importance and how long it takes in the training of the referees."

A-LEAGUE WOMEN

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