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History made in A-League as Virtual Assistant Referee system reverses penalty decision

A meeting between Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC saw the technology used for the first time after the match officials initially waved away protests

The Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) system has been used in an A-League fixture for the first time, with the division trialling the FIFA technology.

Australia’s top tier is the first elite division to implement the system, with Melbourne City and Adelaide United involved in a historic fixture on Friday.

There was no need for outside interference in that contest, but Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC have broken new ground.

In the 70th minute of their encounter, a handball shout was waved away by the match officials.