The Data Dynamo

If you watch soccer, you hear the debates, the applause, and the moans: VAR is checking… But what does it mean? When you wonder how VAR works, who works it, and why it always seems to take a long time, you should know that it’s not as complicated as you think. Here’s how the soccer VAR system works.

VAR Definition

VAR is an acronym for Video Assistant Referee – the complement of referees who are behind the screen with various camera angles to help the central referee on the pitch. It does not replace the on-field referee.

VAR Reviewable Incidents

VAR can only REVIEW FOUR INCIDENTS OF “CLEAR AND OBVIOUS” ERRORS THAT IMPACT GAME-CHANGING MOMENTS.

1. Goals and offences leading to goals – offside, foul, handball/etc.

2. Penalty decisions – awarding/canceling penalties, missed fouls in the penalty area.

3. Direct Red Cards – not second yellow cards; caution for violent conduct/dangerous tackles.

4. Mistaken Identity – wrong player booked.

No other parts of the game can be reviewed.

How VAR Works (Step-by-Step)

1. The referee makes an initial on-field decision – goal, no foul, play on, card. VAR DOES NOT HALT THE GAME ON ITS OWN.

2. The VAR team views video footage from a separate stadium/central location of various camera angles. They check every major incident SILENTLY IN THE BACKGROUND while the game plays on.

3. Should the VAR team see something problematic or unclear, they inform the referee through radio transmission:

a. Check complete (it’s fine)

b. Recommendation: on-field review (the call should’ve been made differently).

4. The referee goes to the sideline monitor to watch slow-motion and real-time footage and makes a subsequent decision (the final decision). The VAR room does not have the final say.

5. After VAR, the referee announces the review to receive a subsequent call – goal, no goal, penalty, red card.

Why Does VAR Take So Long?

VAR is efficient – but it takes time when officials want certainty that they’ve made the correct decision. For example,

– To look at every angle to see contact

– To use freeze frames to determine if someone is offside

– To disagree with the on-field referee

– To assess a complicated moment (big scramble in the penalty box)

VAR would rather be right than quick – but fans roll their eyes.

Does VAR Make The Game Fairer?

VAR’s primary goal is consistency. While it’s not perfect it certainly alleviates mistakes as it relates to:

– Penalty calls

– Wrong red cards

– Goals deemed offside

– Player identification

Whatever controversy exists usually relates to subjective interpretation – not technology.

Conclusion

VAR is meant to assist – not dominate – the game. Understanding VAR facilitates what’s going on during a long period of uncertainty watching officials draw lines and jog to screens, by acknowledging that it’s a powerful part of an ever-developing dynamic game.