FIFA WORLD CUP - 2018 COUNTDOWN : VAR set for debut

Moscow: Football is practically the last major sport to start using video replay technology to help referees ensure they made the right calls on the pitch, and on March 3 FIFA took the decision to employ Video Assistant Referees (VAR) at the game's biggest tournament this summer: the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

But the steady march toward VAR has caused some to say the essence of the game has been lost along the way.

FIFA is to set to implement VAR after testing its use in over 1,000 matches, and says an average of just 55 seconds per game was lost in reviewing replays.  

This comes out to a relatively minor amount compared to the average time lost due to fouls (eight minutes and 51 seconds), corner kicks (three minutes and 57 seconds) or player substitutions (two minutes and 57 seconds).

However, VAR's implementation has drawn flak from several quarters.