VAR has become an established part of most top-level competitions – and the World Cup is no different.
Video Assistant Referee technology will be in operation at this winter's World Cup 2022 in Qatar, with World Cup fixtures getting underway on Sunday, November 20.
The perennially controversial technology made its World Cup debut four years ago in Russia – which became the first competition, domestic or international, to use VAR in all of its matches.
Eventual winners France were the first beneficiaries of a World Cup VAR decision, being awarded a penalty in their tournament opener against Australia.
Les Bleus would later win a spot-kick in exactly the same manner en route to beating Croatia 4-2 in the final.
We know what to expect from VAR by now – but the World Cup 2022 will see the addition of another feature to referees' technological arsenal.
In July, FIFA announced that semi-automated offside technology would be introduced this winter.
FIFA claim that the new "support tool" will help the World Cup 2022 referees to "make faster, more accurate and more reproducible offside decisions on the biggest stage of all".
If nothing else, it will add a further element of intrigue to a tournament that's already unique in so many ways.
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