Is there VAR in the FA Cup fifth round?

Video assistant referee technology (VAR) and semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will be used in the fifth round of this season's FA Cup.

The technology was not in use earlier in the competition because of infrastructure and operational costs.

The Football Association says this decision will ensure a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs that take part in the competition.

Goalline technology, however, will be available for all fixtures hosted by Premier League and Championship clubs.

When will VAR be in use in the FA Cup?

VAR will come into play for every tie from the fifth round of the FA Cup and will be available for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

However, SAOT will only be available from the fifth round, but only for matches hosted at a Premier League stadium.

The FA says this is due to the infrastructure and technology that is required for SAOT.

The technology requires 30 bespoke cameras to be installed beneath the roof at a stadium to monitor a variety of key elements.

The cameras - working at 100 frames per second - track the exact movement of the ball as well as 10,000 data points on the bodies of all 22 players.

It means it can be automatically determined whether an attacking player's body was beyond the last defender at the exact time the ball was played.

VAR officials check the system has correctly determined the three key points it measures before confirming the decision. The on-field officials then inform the players.

A 3D animation of the decision produced by the artificial intelligence is then played on television for viewers at home and on big screens in the stadium.

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When has the lack of VAR caused controversy?

VAR was also not in use during the third and fourth round ties this season and it led to a number of notable talking points.

In Newcastle's 3-1 victory against Aston Villa, Tammy Abraham's opener was clearly offside, Villa's full-back Lucas Digne escaped conceding a penalty for handball and the Frenchman could easily have been dismissed for a reckless challenge as well.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said: "I'm so torn because the game is better without VAR in terms of excitement and the spectacle for the supporters and us when we're living a moment live.

"But it does give accurate results. It does make the game more precise in terms of decision making. You have to respect those moments. They're worth their weight in gold, especially us today when we were on the wrong side of it."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery went further, saying "VAR is necessary. It's necessary to help the referees".

There was also some controversy at Anfield during Liverpool's 3-0 win over Brighton.

Rio Ngumoha had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside for the hosts, while the Seagulls were furious Mohamed Salah was awarded a penalty.

Manchester City's Omar Marmoush also had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside in their fourth round win against Salford City.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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