Premier Soccer League not ready for 2026/27 rollout of VAR, says SAFA head of referees

Premier Soccer League not ready for 2026/27 rollout of VAR, says SAFA head of referees

The A-League in Australia were the first to officially utilise the Video Assistant Referee in 2017.

It was then rolled out across the Bundesliga and Serie A before being adopted by La Liga, and finally the English Premier league in at the start of the 2019/20 season

VAR has also been widely used in international competition including in the ongoing FIFA 2026 World Cup.

The Premiership were hoping to install the system for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign, but Ebrahim says it might take another year at least.

"Are we going to have VAR next season? My simple answer is no," Ebrahim said on Primetime Sports.

"There is extensive training that needs to take place, and that training hasn't started yet due to certain factors. 

"But I can say that we have a project team in place. Currently, the project team is awaiting approval from the National Executive Committee on the proposal they made.

“Once that is received, the project team will host a media briefing to outline the next steps for the implementation of VAR in South Africa. 

"But no, we are not ready for a 2026/27 rollout.”

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