The Rapids on Wednesday got their first look at Major League Soccer’s foray into video replay and came out grinning.
Trailing 1-0 in the dying moments of a preseason match against Sporting Kansas City, referee Allen Chapman called for a video replay of a possible handball in the box by a Sporting player. After review, Chapman awarded the Rapids a penalty kick and midfielder Dillon Powers scored the equalizer.
It was the first time in-game Video Assistant Referee (VAR) testing had been implemented in a Rapids match and it resulted in a 1-1 draw, rather than a 1-0 loss for Colorado.
MLS and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) are testing the technology in 29 preseason games this month to “help referees reduce clear errors.” There are four types of plays that are subject to review: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and cases of mistaken identity.
MLS said there have been five formal VAR reviews in 12 preseason games through Wednesday. The goal of the league’s preseason testing of VAR is to ensure the system runs smoothly. MLS said it doesn’t have a large enough sample size yet to determine how efficient the process has been.
“During this preseason phase of testing, PRO will be keen on identifying consistent decision-making and fine-tuning referee-to-VAR communications,” Peter Walton, PRO general manager, said in a news release.
MLS said its goal is to incorporate video replay in select league matches after the 2017 All-Star Game, which is scheduled for Aug. 2 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Testing of VAR will continue during the Desert Diamond Cup, so the Rapids will get three more looks at the new technology this month. Colorado takes on New England on Saturday, New York City FC on Feb. 22, and a yet-to-be-determined MLS team on Feb. 25.
