Malta FA to introduce Video Technology in season 2025-26

Maltese football will be assisted by video technology as from next season as the Malta FA Executive Board has unanimously approved the introduction of Football Video Support (FVS) in football and Video Support (VS) in futsal.

In a statement, the Malta Football Association said that in football, a maximum of 70 matches will be covered by this system in the first season of the launch, and will mainly be used in decisive matches, such as finals and play-offs.

In futsal, the system is planned to cover around five matches in total in the launch year, and will primarily be used in playoffs and other finals.

The FVS system in football will be deployed across three stadiums, with a maximum of two FVS operations running concurrently.

Each match will be covered using an average of four cameras (the system can be operated with a minimum one camera and a maximum of six cameras) with operations for the top championship run by the Malta Premier League, whilst the remaining domestic competitions are organised by the Malta FA.

Separately, one VS system will be deployed in the futsal arena which is currently used to host the futsal domestic competitions organised by the Futsal Malta Association.

Matchday support will include the provision of equipment, a technician, and an operator.

The matches approved for FVS/VS coverage are Malta Premier League matches, the FA Trophy from the quarter-final stage onwards, the 125 Jubilee Cup Men’s and Women’s Finals; Malta FA Super Cup Futsal League matches; Futsal Super Cup and the Futsal Trophy Final

The FVS is an alternative to VAR that allows coaches to challenge specific decisions. This system is being tested in various competitions, including the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups. FVS differs from VAR by giving coaches the ability to initiate reviews for clear and obvious errors, rather than relying on a dedicated team of video officials to monitor all incidents.

The initial discussions on the introduction of the FVS for domestic competitions started between the Malta FA and FIFA at the beginning of this calendar year.

The MFA said that at present, the Association has received eight offers from various international FIFA licenced suppliers, and it is currently evaluating such offers.

Following this, internal discussions with both the MPL and the FMA will start on the implementation of this exciting project.