Video replay approved for all Netherlands football matches in 2018/19 season

Video replay will be used to help referee all Netherlands football matches in the Eredivisie from the 2018/19 football season, Mike van der Roest of Dutch football association KNVB said to NOS.

"We are going to do more cup matches next season. And from season 2018/2019 all Eredivisie matches", Van der Roest - project leader for video replay at the KNVB - said to the broadcaster.

World football association FIFA decided to start experimenting with video replay last year, making agreements with all football associations on a trajectory to start implementing this aid to refereeing. According to Van der Roest, the testing phase runs until 2018. Until then the KNVB, an international front runner when it comes to using video arbitration, will follow the FIFA trajectory.

From the 2018/19 season, the video referee will be located in Hilversum. "We sit in a studio with all facilities to video referee the match with a live connection", Van der Roest explains. This was already tested in this season during the semi-finals of the KNVB cup. "We want to do multiple matches in one day, without the video referees having to cross the entire country to go to all stadiums."

The KNVB also tested on-field review this season - an addition to video replay in which referees can re-watch footage of the match on a screen next to the field.