By Fraser Wilson

Copyright dailyrecord

Referees could be hooked-up for in-stadium VAR announcements in Premiership grounds before the end of this season – if clubs give the go-ahead in the new year. SFA referees ‘ chief Willie Callum says positive meetings have been held about introducing the technology in the top flight in a bid to boost transparency and give fans clarity during a video assistants’ check. New IFAB rules mean competitions now have the option to allow officials to make announcements to supporters immediately after VAR reviews. The technology has been rolled out in Serie A in Italy and was trialed in the Carabao Cup semi finals and final in England last season as well as this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. Now it could be introduced in the Scottish Premiership – if clubs give it the thumbs up in the new year and agree to meet the cost. Record Sport understands should it get the thumbs-up then it could be in place before the end of the current campaign. Some grounds are already equipped with the equipment required. And Collum said: “As referees we’re always keen to improve the product. We’re always keen to embrace any new technology. “We had a really good meeting with the clubs recently and we’ve decided to keep monitoring the situation in terms of the in-stadium comms and how it’s working in other countries. “We will revisit that in the new year with further discussions about ‘would that be a possibility here in Scotland?’” Meanwhile Collum has called on his officials to eradicate decisions which leave everyone confused. The head of refereeing, speaking to Sky Sports, said: “I’ve said to referees and the clubs that it’s important we eradicate the decisions that people just don’t understand. There’ll always be decisions that are subjective in football. Everybody accepts that. “What we find difficult to defend is the decisions where nobody understands why we have reached a different conclusion. So that would be a target – to reduce the amount of those decisions.”