Why VAR is only being used in select FA Cup third-round ties as fans left confused

Teams from all over the English pyramid - as low as sixth-tier Maidstone United - are in action in the FA Cup third round this week. As per FA Cup rules, VAR will be in use over the round of fixtures, but it will not be present in every match.

Only matches played at Premier League stadiums will have VAR available for these matches. The discrepancy is due to licensing issues, as even West Brom's stadium, where the technology has been in place previously, will not have it as the club are not in the English top-flight. That means that the games involving Brighton, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Manchester United will not be using VAR as they are away to teams outside the Premier League.

VAR has been in use in the FA Cup since 2018 as part of a trial for the system, but the competition has never applied to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to have it fully in place. This would be a complicated and expensive issue to resolve as it would require VAR's introduction to stadiums throughout the English football pyramid.

The lack of VAR in every match will likely be an issue for the remainder of the competition and the costs needed to have it in place across the board may be too much for the Football Association to implement it properly any time soon.