Russia 2018 World Cup instructions restricting assistant referees

World Cup assistant referees have been told to keep their flag down for tight offside calls to enable VAR to make the correct decision, says Fifa referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina, National Daily learnt.

Russia 2018 will be the first World Cup to use the video assistant referee system.

“If you see some assistant referee not raising the flag it’s not because he’s making mistakes,” said Collina.

“It’s because he’s respected the instruction to keep the flag down.”

Italian former referee Collina was speaking at the World Cup referees media briefing on Tuesday.

“They were told to keep the flag down when there is a tight offside incident and there could be a very promising attack or a goal-scoring opportunity because if the assistant referee raises the flag then everything is finished,” he said.

“If the assistant referee keeps the flag down and the play goes on and maybe a goal comes at the end, there is a chance to review the goal using the technology.”