Replacement Announced for National 1 Starting from the 2026-2027 season, Ligue 3 is expected to benefit from video Assistant Referees (VAR) from its inception next summer. However, it will involve a different and less demanding system.
Ligue 3 is increasingly becoming a reality. Long desired by many clubs for several years, this evolution of the current National 1 championship will become a reality from next summer for the start of the 2026-2027 season. This Thursday, during a meeting of its executive committee, the French Football Federation (FFF) discussed a key element of this new division: video Assistant Referees (VAR). While only Ligue 1 has had VAR since the start of the 2018-2019 season and Ligue 2 is still not included due to budget reasons, FFF President Philippe Diallo confirmed to the media that Ligue 3 will have a different form of VAR from the one in place in the elite leagues.
No VAR but FVS planned for Ligue 3
“We will have a system that will be presented in due time and on which we have reflected,” added the head of French football in remarks gathered by RMC Sport. This project illustrates the desire to make Ligue 3 the most innovative championship possible. The system in question, which “will not be exactly the same as VAR,” is expected to be the “Football Video Support” (FVS) already used in FIFA youth competitions and often referred to as a “light VAR”, relying mainly on the competition broadcaster’s cameras, which should be the “Ligue 1+” platform to strengthen its offering.
The green card brought to light
Thus, through a green card, the coaches of both teams will have the opportunity to challenge a referee’s decision on goals, awarded penalties, direct red cards, or player identification errors. The referee will have the opportunity to review the images of the disputed action, while the fourth official will have this responsibility for goals. Currently, with the FVS, each coach can challenge a decision twice. If the implementation of this simplified form of VAR is approved by the FFF, it could cause a stir. Nevertheless, the federation aims to highlight its future Ligue 3, and the use of video technology fits perfectly into this framework.
