Frank Christian
The EFL Cup, also known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is open to all 92 clubs in the Football League. It stands as one of England’s two prominent annual knockout tournaments.
Since its inception in 1960, the EFL Cup has delivered excitement and memorable moments to football enthusiasts in the UK and internationally.
The use of VAR in these matches has sparked controversy, given the tournament’s inclusion of teams from all professional levels in England.
This article provides insights into whether VAR is employed during EFL Cup matches and the circumstances under which it might be utilized.
Is VAR Used in the Carabao Cup?
VAR is guaranteed only for the Carabao Cup final held at Wembley Stadium; all other rounds depend on EFL’s discretion.
Typically, VAR will be in effect only if all venues in a given round have the necessary VAR infrastructure. For instance, in the 2023/24 EFL Cup semifinals, VAR was not used as Middlesbrough, one of the competing teams, lacked VAR facilities at their Riverside Stadium. Consequently, VAR was also not implemented in the other semifinal at Liverpool’s Anfield, despite that venue being equipped.
Why Is VAR Only Used in Certain Carabao Cup Matches?
The EFL Cup includes clubs from four levels of English football, many of which play at stadiums without VAR systems.
The investment needed to set up cameras, communication systems, pitchside monitors, and a central operation hub for VAR is substantial.
As reported by The Yorkshire Post in 2021, the Championship would have incurred around £12.26 million ($16.3 million) for VAR installations in the 2019/20 season, not including per-match operational costs.
Do FA Cup Matches Use VAR?
In contrast to the EFL Cup, the FA Cup opts to use VAR whenever feasible.
The FA Cup’s approach differs from the EFL Cup’s, which eliminates VAR for an entire round if any venue lacks the capability. The FA Cup argues that using VAR at even one venue does not disrupt the fairness or competitive balance of matches without it.
The FA emphasized in February 2024, “Video assistant referees provide match officials with additional support and should be utilized wherever possible,” addressing concerns about competitive integrity. Currently, only Premier League stadiums meet the requirements to implement VAR due to the necessary infrastructure and costs.
Thus, the FA Cup mandates VAR at all matches held in Premier League venues, while it’s not compulsory in lower league grounds. Some lower league teams that have previously competed in the Premier League may have VAR capabilities and could use it if the system were operational.
