European football referee officials say video assistant referees (VAR) should be used only to correct “blatantly incorrect” decisions and clear missed incidents. They made the recommendation after meetings involving chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national associations, together with UEFA refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the sport’s laws. The officials referred to VAR’s original “philosophy” when IFAB introduced it into the Laws of the Game in 2018: “minimum interference – maximum benefit.” They said the aim is to reduce unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents. The guidance focuses on the types of calls VAR was designed to address, including decisions connected to goals, penalties, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. BBC and Yahoo Sports both report that the discussion centers on ensuring VAR is applied narrowly, rather than routinely, to avoid unnecessary disruption while still correcting major refereeing mistakes.
European referee chiefs urge limiting VAR to clear mistakes
European football referee officials say video assistant referees (VAR) should be used only to correct “blatantly incorrect” decisions and clear missed incidents. They made the recommendation after mee...
- European referee chiefs say VAR should be used only for “blatantly incorrect” decisions.
- They also call for VAR to intervene in clear missed incidents.
- The guidance follows meetings involving all 55 European national associations, UEFA officials, and an IFAB representative.
- VAR was added to the Laws in 2018 by IFAB, with a “minimum interference – maximum benefit” philosophy.
- VAR is intended to address major decision areas such as goals, penalties, direct red cards, and mistaken identity.
Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials. Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws. When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
3 hours agoVideo assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
22 hours ago
Kenya investigates possible toxin after 15 elephants die in Amboseli ecosystem
Kenya is investigating a suspected poisoning after 15 elephants die in the Amboseli ecosystem. Reports say the deaths oc...
Convicted murderer testifies in trial of prison officer accused of raping inmate
A convicted murderer gives evidence in the South Australian District Court trial of a prison officer accused of raping a...
Ukraine strikes Wildberries warehouses in renewed attacks on Russian logistics
Ukraine conducts renewed strikes targeting warehouses linked to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer often desc...