European refereeing officials have stated that video assistant referees (VAR) should only be employed to overturn “blatantly incorrect” decisions and to correct clear missed incidents.
Last week, chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations convened with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to discuss recent amendments to the game’s laws.
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Participants noted that the use of “lengthy, microscoping reviews” suggests that VAR has extended beyond its intended purpose.
When VAR was introduced into the laws of the game in 2018 by the Ifab, its guiding principle was “minimum interference – maximum benefit,” aiming to mitigate “unfairness caused by clear and obvious mistakes or serious oversights” concerning goals, penalties, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity.
Uefa confirmed that the recent meeting led to an agreement among refereeing leaders on the necessity of returning to these original objectives.
“It was emphasized that, per protocol, VAR should only intervene in cases of ‘clear and obvious’ errors, that is, when a referee’s decision is blatantly incorrect or when a clear incident has been overlooked,” Uefa stated.
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“VAR is not intended to re-officiate the game; it serves as vital support for referees, who must remain central in all decision-making.”
“Lengthy, detailed reviews often indicate that the on-field decision was not clearly and obviously incorrect and should thus be minimized.”
Officials acknowledged recent clarifications from Ifab regarding the proper interpretation of the “mistaken identity” rule that was introduced before the recent World Cup, which states that if a player is penalized with a booking or dismissal for a foul committed by an opponent, the decision can be amended.
Swiss player Breel Embolo became the first player sent off under this new rule following a controversial second yellow card for simulation against Argentina, initially awarded to Leandro Paredes for the foul before VAR’s intervention.
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Ifab clarified that VAR can only review bookings to “identify the player who committed the offence that was penalized, rather than to review or change the actual offence.”
Additionally, there was “unanimous support” for recent regulatory changes aimed at minimizing unnecessary interruptions, including time constraints on goal-kicks, throw-ins, and substitutions, as well as new regulations regarding on-field injuries and goalkeeper tactical timeouts.