Eyal Yechezkell discusses Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA, who is considering Instant replay for the world cup.

1. Instant Replay for the World Cup
One of the biggest gripes that some coaches have with the World Cup is the lack of instant
replay. Every other major sport in the world, with very few exceptions has some sort of reply
into place. FIFA has long held the stance that it would diminish the flow of the game and
cause issues moving forward. However, in a recent change of heart, one of the heads of the
soccer world has changed his mind. Sepp Blatter, is head of FIFA, and he’s the one that
championing this notion, causing a great deal of speculation as to whether or not replays will
be a factor in the future of the sport. As of now, there is no instant replay in place, and
coaches cannot challenge a referee’s call.
The Proposal
The latest proposal will be for an instant replay solution that will be monitored by an
individual that is neutral. Coaches may disagree with a call during breaks in the game, and
would only be allowed to do so within a limited time frame. This changeover is very similar to
that of the NFL’s replay rules, and will definitely cause a stir. There are some that say this
would change up the flow of the progressive game of soccer, since the game continues
forward without real breaks aside from the split between halves.
No Date Set
There is no date set on this option, but there may be a start at the Under-20 World Cup that
is set to happen in New Zealand in 2015. If that’s a success, alongside goal line technology,
television replay will come home to this game and could be a major component of all major
games in the future. It should be noted that it took a long time for goal line technology come
to the game, and that has been met with good results in 2014. It was as recent as 2010 that
goal line technology would’ve made the deciding factor in World Cup tournament games.
FIFA is notorious for changing their minds, so perhaps taking this news with a grain of salt is a
good thing. TV replays sound good, but until they are implemented in play, things are not
going to change quite yet.