VAR was implemented in the Premier League in 2019 – in an attempt to improve the consistency of decisions in the league.
Allowing referees to be given assistance from Stockley Park, they can be given a closer angle of incidents on their monitors.
But, how does it work, what is the decision-making process and why do they not use semi-automated offside?
VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee and is now actively used in top soccer leagues around the world such as the Premier League and the Bundesliga. It was introduced to assist referees in making crucial decisions during a match, essentially providing officials with support from a designated hub.
VAR has been in the plans of FIFA ever since 2016 when they started to approve trials for the technology. Yet before that, VAR was conceived by the Refereeing 2.0 project in the early 2010s, under the direction of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB). The system was tested through mock trials during the 2012/13 season of the Eredivisie. In 2014, the KNVB petitioned the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to amend its Laws of the Game to allow the system to be used during more extensive trials.
The approved trials and a pathway to full implementation during its 2016 general meeting. At that meeting, Lukas Brud said: “With all the 4G and Wi-Fi in stadiums today, we knew we had to protect referees from making mistakes that everyone can see immediately.” In that meeting, Lukas Brud referred to Thierry Henry’s handball that eliminated Ireland from qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On that occasion, the on-field referees were not in a position to view the infraction. In 2017, Australia’s A-League became the first domestic top flight to fully implement VAR within its competition, with Major League Soccer adopting the system for the second half of its season that same year.
The use of video match officials (VMOs) in football was included in the 2018/2019 edition of the Laws of the Game and was successfully used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Since then, the system has been implemented in over 100 competitions worldwide.
To remove ‘clear and obvious’ errors from the game, the Premier League followed FIFA’s idea after the successful trials. The life of VAR was here as the Premier League agreed to introduce it in November 2018 for the following season.
Its first season was successful, leading to VAR’s permanent inclusion from the 2020/2021 season, the year of COVID-19. With no fans in the stands, it painted a unique picture as stadium screens shone brightly with ‘VAR’, despite no one being there to watch it. VAR has the ability to look at every broadcaster’s camera angle in the stadium, providing the team with in-depth analysis during every significant moment.
First brought in by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA, VAR acts as a backup option to the referee, allowing officials to change the decision at important moments in the match. VAR can be used in four pivotal moments: goals and offences leading up to a goal, penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty decision, direct red card incidents only (not second yellow card/caution) and mistaken identity, according to FIFA’s website.
That could soon change, with The Times’ Martyn Ziegler suggesting FIFA want to extend VAR powers to free-kicks, corners and second yellow cards – prompting fears of longer delays within matches.
In the Premier League, the VAR hub is at Stockley Park, a business park in West London. Every decision taken by VAR during matches takes place there – instead of at the stadium. Each team for every match is made up of three people: a VAR, an Assistant VAR (AVAR) and a Replay Operator (RO). They work together to attempt to make the process as smooth as possible, with communication between the trio allowing for decisions to be made as quickly as possible.
Tottenham red card
VAR begins reviewing incidents as soon as something potentially important occurs. Clear and obvious errors – as outlined below – allow VAR to change the decision. However, they can only recommend changing the decision, with the final call always being made by the on-field referee, often done at the pitch side monitor. One of the various complaints about VAR is the time it takes. However, there is no time limit for the process, with IFAB – and thus the Premier League and PGMOL – preferring for it to be accurate, instead of focusing on speed.
Meanwhile, another more recent introduction of VAR suggests the players and team officials are not allowed to surround the referee, according to the rules – in an attempt to stop them from influencing the decision process of the incident. Players can now be given a yellow card for surrounding the referee, as PGMOL attempts to crack down on rude behaviour towards their officials.
Just like referees, video assistant referees and replay operators are qualified, completing training specifically to use the system. However, in the case of one member of the team not being able to carry on, they must be replaced by someone qualified. If no qualified replacement can be found, the match must be played without the use of VAR – or the two teams can agree in writing to play with one member of the VAR team missing.
The audio of the VAR check on Bruno Guimarães’ elbow on Jorginho
‘Clear and Obvious’ defined
Anthony Taylor checks VAR
As defined by the IFAB and PGMOL, they can not overturn a decision unless it is a ‘clear and obvious mistake’, usually referring to offsides and fouls in the build-up of the incident. If the VAR team believe the on-field referee has misjudged what happened on the pitch, they will class it as ‘clear and obvious’. In another way, what makes the final call ‘clear and obvious’ is that all three officials in question are in full agreement.
Crucially, the final decision comes down to the referee, but if every member of the VAR team believes it should be overturned, they will recommend that to the on-field referee. The on-field referee rarely disagrees with the entirety of the VAR team.
There is never a set idea of clear and obvious issues for handballs and fouls, because football is subjective. What one fan thinks might be completely different to what another fan thinks.
Clear and obvious decisions can only be used for several incidents, including offsides, red cards and penalties. It is not a clear and obvious error if the referee has missed a yellow card, whilst the same rule applies to fouls outside the penalty box. It means VAR will only intervene in certain instances, preventing the game from being stopped so often.
VAR expert explains why Arsenal didn’t get penalty vs Chelsea for Sanchez foul on Jesus
Decision-making process
Chris Kavanagh checks the VAR screen during Brentford vs Newcastle.
The process of VAR might seem complicated, but this simple step-by-step guide shows how VAR make their decisions and how they communicate with the on-field referee.
Step
Process
1.
The referee and on-field officials make their own decision – as if there was no VAR.
2.
The referee and other match officials are not permitted to give ‘no decision’ as IFAB believes this would lead to weak and ineffective officiating.
3.
The VAR automatically ‘checks’ the TV camera footage for every potential or actual goal, penalty or direct red card decision/incident, or a case of mistaken identity, using different camera angles and replay speeds.
4.
The referee can also initiate a review for a potential ‘clear and obvious’ error or ‘serious missed incident’ when the VAR recommends a review or when the referee suspects something serious has been missed. If play has already been stopped, the referee delays the restart. If play has not already stopped, the referee stops play when the ball is next in a neutral zone/situation – usually when neither side are in their attacking half.
5.
VAR first checks the footage in normal speed – and slow motion. However, slow-motion replays should only be used for facts like the point of contact for physical offences. Normal speed is used for the intensity of an offence or to decide if it was an intentional handball.
6.
In the event that a VAR check takes place and there is no ‘clear and obvious error’, VAR will not communicate with the referee. This is all done via a ‘silent check’ to make sure nothing serious has occurred.
7.
The restart of play is delayed for a check; the referee does this by signalling with his finger to his earpieces and extending his arm. This signal is maintained until the check is complete. This provides transparency for the teams on the pitch.
8.
If the check suggests there is a ‘clear and obvious error’, the VAR team will relay this to the referee. VAR will tell them what they have seen on the monitor and why they think the decision should be kept/changed. They will then recommend an ‘on-field review’ or a ‘VAR-only review’ if they are 100% confident. A ‘VAR-only review’ skips the process of the on-field referee reviewing the incident himself.
9.
If they recommend a review, the referee goes to the pitch side monitor and is talked through the incident by VAR, allowing him to gain a greater understanding of the incident. VAR can switch between the cameras to help them.
10.
Once decided, the referee must show the ‘TV signal’ before immediately showing his decision.
11.
The referee will change/keep the on-field decision, whilst making any necessary disciplinary actions.
12.
The match resumes and – once it kicks off – the decision is final. It can not be changed after that point.
A match is not invalidated because of malfunctions of VAR technology (including goal-line technology). This also includes wrong decisions involving VAR, deciding not to review an incident and reviews of unnecessary situations. This is an attempt to stop football from going down a controversial route, with clubs always trying everything to succeed.
Jamie Carragher asks James Maddison about Spurs vs Liverpool replay on MNF
Pitchside Monitor
Carrying on the explanation, watching a referee go to a pitchside monitor is one of the most common sites in a modern-day football match. It never used to be a common feature at the start of VAR’s spell, but it quickly became more common.
The pitchside monitor plays a crucial part in the role of VAR. It is used for subjective reviews and decisions in modern-day football. As the definition of ‘subjective’ suggests – based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions – referees are bound to disagree on some decisions, especially in high-pressure matches.
Subjective decisions include things such as the intensity of a foul/challenge, interference during offside and handball considerations. However, referees do not go to the pitchside monitor for factual decisions, including the position of a player (offside), point of contact (clear handball or foul), location (inside or outside the penalty area) and whether the ball is out of play. There will always be moments when referees will go to the pitchside monitor to look at the location of the ball, but this is only for the tightest of decisions. Most of the time, VAR do not send them there.
Offside
Semi-automated offside feature in soccer.
VAR can help intervene with offside calls, with the IFAB stating it can be reviewed for an attacking team offence in the build-up or scoring of the goal, such as offside. Linesmen are now told to keep their flag down until the chance has ended if there is a clear chance of scoring. This means they can review the footage no matter what the linesman’s own decision is. The line – as is the case for the rest of VAR decisions – is ‘clear and obvious’, but that is challenging when offside can be incredibly subjective. However, could it be a lot simpler?
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA introduced the ground-breaking idea of semi-automated offside technology to the biggest tournament in the world. It allows VAR and the referees to be provided with assistance when looking at tight offside calls.
The technology provides an automated offside alert to video match officials at the VAR hub whenever the ball is received by an attacker who was in an offside position.
Officials then validate the offside decision – making sure it is correct – before informing the on-field referee. The process is far quicker than doing it manually, allowing matches to restart quickly. Finally, the system produces a 3D animation – showing the best possible perspective of the offside – which can be shown on screens in stadiums and around the world on TV.
FIFA stated: “The new technology uses 12 dedicated tracking cameras mounted underneath the roof of the stadium to track the ball and up to 29 data points of each individual player, 50 times per second, calculating their exact position on the pitch. The 29 collected data points include all limbs and extremities that are relevant for making offside calls.”
The system received praise in the World Cup and Champions League, but the Premier League rejected the idea of bringing it into the league. The recommendation did not make it onto the agenda for the Premier League’s Annual General Meeting in June. Chief executives across the 20 clubs reportedly stated the technology may date too quickly for it to prove a difference-maker.
Yellow and red cards
Sheffield Utd red card
Red cards are a hot talking point with VAR this season, with the Premier League already accumulating the same amount (30) after 13 matches in the 2023/2024 season as the entirety of the 2022/2023 season. In comparison to offsides, yellow and red cards are subjective; more often than not, what one referee thinks might be entirely different to another referee.
When considering an incident as such, IFAB state referees must consider the position of the offence and the position of other players, whether it was serious foul play – or just reckless – violent conduct (such as biting or spitting) and using offensive, insulting or abusive language.
VAR can not intervene for yellow cards. It is only if it is serious enough to be a straight red card that they can intervene. This might soon change – as previously mentioned – with FIFA wanting to bring VAR in for second yellow cards. In a slight loophole within the system, players can be rewarded with yellow cards even if VAR can’t directly review them. If a player has deceived the referee via diving to win a penalty, VAR can overturn the decision and book the player for dissent. Likewise, if VAR disagrees that a ‘dangerous tackle’ is a red card, they can recommend the on-field referee to change it to a yellow card.
For more serious occasions, VAR will intervene if they believe a player has committed ‘serious foul play’ which can result in a red card. They will often look out for swinging arms into opposition faces, studs up into players’ legs, or maybe even misconduct – such as a headbutt. There’s a wide range of incidents that can lead to a red card, with VAR having the job of tracking as many of them as possible.
Penalties
nottingham forest penalty shout
Penalty kicks can be subjective, with referees potentially disagreeing on the point of contact or the amount of contact. However, the governing body states they can be reviewed for incidents (handballs, fouls and offsides) in the build-up to the penalty incident – or you tell the referee you dived like Ronaldo – the ball going out of play, the location of the offence in relation to the box, and whether it was correctly/incorrectly awarded due to an error.
Involving penalties, VAR can also look at encroachment during penalty kicks. However, they will only check for this when an encroaching player gets directly involved in the outcome – after a save, or rebound off the post, for example – and to check that a player has not stuttered his run directly before taking the kick. In a recent change of the rules, encroaching by outfield players is now only defined by the feet rather than a player’s lean forward.
Likewise, the law also affects goalkeepers during penalty kicks. The law states they must have one foot on the line when the penalty is struck. This is also enforced by VAR, but almost every goalkeeper has mastered this technique now, knowing there is no point trying to sneak their way past the referee due to VAR’s eagle eyes. Goalkeepers used to be allowed to step in front of the line during penalty shoot-outs. Jerzy Dudek showcased this for Liverpool during the Champions League final against AC Milan, helping the Reds win their fifth title. However, the recent rule change has stopped goalkeepers from doing that, providing an extra advantage to the penalty taker.
GMS Weekly: Your Ticket To A Whole New Ball Game.
Email Address
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
