Football lawmakers consider giving VAR powers to rule on corners and penalties in 'radical change'

According to The Times, the International Football Association Board, which oversees the laws of football, may look at a 'radical change' to penalties where the ball is declared "dead" if the goalkeeper saves the spotkick and, therefore, a goal cannot be scored on the rebound. The report adds that there is 'considerable support' for overturning a call when a corner has been wrongly awarded but allowing VARs to intervene for second yellows is seen as 'more controversial' as it is usually a 'subjective decision'.

Handing VAR more responsibility has been on the cards for years, and is likely to cause uproar amongst some football fans, but more will become clear in November at IFAB's annual business meeting in November. Any new laws may potentially be signed off at the annual general meeting next March, and those possible changes would come into effect from June 1, just before next year's World Cup.

The report adds that IFAB board members would want to be convinced that any extension of VAR powers would not lead to an increase in delays and that new decisions would have to be taken by video officials in a matter of seconds.

Many football fans will now be eagerly awaiting what comes from the upcoming IFAB meetings in November and March to see if VAR will be given more powers or not. Either way, it is likely to be a polarising issue.