Scottish Premiership set to make VAR decision this week

Scottish football will find out on Tuesday if the cinch Premiership is to have the aid of Video Assistant Referees.

All 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs will be asked to vote on VAR’s introduction to the top flight at the SPFL general meeting.

The resolution requires 75 per cent of cinch Premiership clubs, 75 per cent of clubs in the Championship and 75 per cent of clubs in Leagues 1 and 2 combined to vote in favour.

If the resolution is passed, VAR could be introduced to the top flight after this year’s World Cup in Qatar, which takes place between November 21 and December 18.

The 12 Premiership clubs will reportedly pay between 5.63 per cent and 16.29 per cent each for the new system annually, depending on where they finish in the table.

Rangers saw VAR work against them as recently as last Thursday night in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Braga at Ibrox.

Gers striker Kemar Roofe headed in a Borna Barisic cross to put the Light Blues 2-0 up against the Portuguese visitors but French referee Francois Letexier checked VAR and ruled it out for an earlier handball by the Rangers defender, although ultimately Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side went through.

The Rangers boss had called for VAR to be brought into Scottish football after a 2-2 draw with Motherwell at Ibrox in February, when Gers striker Alfredo Morelos had two goals disallowed for offside with the Dutchman questioning one of Well’s goals.

He said: “I think with the build-up to the second goal, (Liam Shaw) was offside and we scored two goals which were even closer with Morelos.

“That is why you need VAR, for these moments to help referees. With VAR, we would have won this game.”

Among other managers in support of VAR, Hearts boss Robbie Neilson previously said: “I’d love it to happen. I think we need to do it to step forward.”

Dundee United boss Tam Courts was on an explanatory webinar presented by Howard Webb, the former Premier League referee who implemented VAR in the United States, and he described it as “clear, robust and I can identify with how they want to implement it”.