SFA brings in aviation experts to help referees

Willie Collum hopes pilots can improve high-pressure communication among officials

Aviation experts who train pilots have been brought in by the Scottish FA to help improve communication between VAR officials for the new football season.

Willie Collum, the SFA's head of refereeing, has revealed top referees in Scotland attended a meeting with two pilots to help prepare them to stay calm in high-pressure scenarios.

The hope is to benefit communication between officials at the Video Assistant Referee centre and those at stadiums, going into the new league season that starts on Saturday.

"These two top people in the UK who help train pilots were talking to us about communication in the cockpit in very, very difficult situations, very much under pressure," he told BBC Scotland.

VAR will have been in operation in Scotland for three years come October, with Collum now going into his second year in charge of Scotland's officials.

"Pilots, it's life or death, people would say it's life or death in football as well," he joked.

"But we need to work really hard with our teams in the VAR centre about how they're communicating, about keeping calm, about thinking about the facts, and being really rational in their approach there and looking at that.

"These are the levels we're going to. We want to improve and we'll do anything we can to improve."

Collum says the main learning point from that visit was communication, but not simply talking to each other, more specific ways in which to communicate.

"Was it open questions, the VAR was asking the AVAR [assistant video assistant referee], not leading the AVAR, so that the AVAR was able to contribute their opinion.

"These are really, really important things. Again, though, in the heat of battle, we need the VARs and the AVARs to operate like that.

"We've been in the VAR centre six, seven times pre-season to train and that took us to another level yesterday as well. And we'll incorporate that into our work when the season starts."

What's changing with VAR this season?

It feels like every season there are tweaks to the rules and laws of the game, and this season is no different. The main things for fans to look for include:

• Drop ball - previously whoever was in possession of the ball when it struck the referee received a drop ball. It will now be the team who would have gained possession if it had not struck the official. Any drop ball in the box goes to the goalkeeper.

• Double touch - as was seen in the Women's Euros final on Sunday, if a player touches the ball with both feet in a penalty and scores, the penalty will be retaken. If the player suffers a double touch and either misses or has their penalty saved, it's an indirect free-kick.

• Eight-second rule - perhaps the most interesting change to try and eliminate time-wasting. Goalkeepers will now get penalised with a corner awarded against them if they do not release the ball within eight seconds. An indirect free-kick will be awarded if a player attends to impede or obstruct.

• While all players can speak to the referee, it will remain the duty of the captain to be the sole contact during any big-decision moments. When the captain is a goalkeeper, an outfield player will be designated to approach the official.