Is VAR in place in the 2022/23 Carabao Cup quarter-finals?

VAR played a big part in last year's final
VAR played a big part in last year's final / Visionhaus/GettyImages
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VAR is ever present in top-level football these days, with there being few matches in the biggest competitions that it doesn't play its part in.

That's not the case in the Carabao Cup though, with it being absent from this year's tournament thus far.

Here's how much the system will be used in the quarter-finals and beyond.


Use of VAR in the 2022/23 Carabao Cup

Due to the wide variety of teams competing in it, VAR isn't used in the Carabao Cup anywhere near as much as it is in the Premier League and Champions League, for instance.

That's because only the venues of Premier League clubs are fully equipped to use it on a regular basis, with that not being the case at the stadiums of teams playing in the Football League.

The decision was therefore taken at the start of the season for the system not to be used in the opening rounds of the tournament, to ensure that every team was on a level playing field when it came to officiating.

Specifically, it was agreed that it wouldn't be used until the semi-finals but will be introduced at that point regardless of where those matches are played.

If any of the two-legged ties at that stage were to be played in stadiums that don't usually use VAR, the system would then be installed for them.

Charlton are the only remaining club in the competition that don't use it on a regular basis though with the other seven being Premier League sides, so such a measure might not be necessary.