EFL Championship clubs - EFL Championship clubs have voted against adopting a simplified version of the Video Assistant Referee, rejecting a lower-cost VAR model proposed for implementation ahead of the 2026/27 season and ensuring the competition will remain without VAR next season.
- In short: Clubs voted down a compact VAR proposal, citing cost, game disruption and insufficient support — goal-line technology stays in place.
Why the proposal stalled
The simplified VAR plan, presented by the EFL's refereeing committee, would have allowed a limited number of coach reviews and a cheaper technical setup compared with the systems used in top divisions. Support for the measure failed to reach the required threshold in a league vote, effectively shelving the idea.
The international framework for video review continues to evolve — see the IFAB for the governing standards that leagues must align with when adopting VAR solutions.
"The Championship will continue without VAR in the 2026/27 season, keeping only goal-line technology."
Context and consequences for clubs and fans
Clubs pointed to the risk of repeated stoppages, effects on match rhythm and the upfront and operational investments required to run any VAR system as decisive factors. Those concerns reflect the financial realities of a second-tier competition where revenues and budgets are generally smaller than in the top flight.
For supporters, the vote means familiar match-day dynamics will remain: referees on the pitch and goal-line technology for close scoring decisions, while debates about fairness and consistency will likely persist as rivals in higher leagues continue using full VAR implementations.
What do you think? Should the Championship revisit a scaled VAR solution in the future, or is the risk to match flow too high? For more details, check out our specialized section.