What is VAR and How Does It Work?

It’s been a few seasons since VAR was first introduced and more than a decade since it’s been in the works. Now, it has its place on every football field where football is played on a professional and high level. Video Assistant Referee has the purpose of aiding the referees who work down on the field. 

 

Those refs are all humans and mistakes can happen inside the gridiron. VAR is here to rectify those mistakes, through video technology and the help of a team of referees and staffers who operate the system. While its essence is clear, many people want to know more about it. So, let’s start with the VAR basics. 

The Basics of Video Assistant Referee 

Let’s start from the beginning. VAR is a Video Assistant Referee. Yet, it is not a one-man-job. Instead, it is a team of professionals who excel in knowledge of video technology and the game played down on the field. Their job is to follow the game and help the main referee in making decisions. It is all in their ability to review delicate situations in real-time after the main referee missed something or made a mistake in judgment. Being able to watch video footage mere moments after the event has occurred makes referees’ job easier than it was ever before. 

 

The team in the VAR room consists of the main assistant referee who is usually a person who was a referee in the past or is currently, his assistant, and replay operator. Their working station is a studio filled with monitors and technology that allows them to see every situation on the field from different camera angles. Since the technology has been introduced it has changed not only the world of football but also the world of sports betting where outlets such as Sportsbet need to take better care of live betting and odds. 

 

VAR is in charge of making and overtaking four types of situations. First, and most important,  types are goals and all situations that come before scoring a goal. Furthermore, the Video Assistant Referee is used for reviewing penalties, red cards, and possible mistakes when awarding a card to an individual player. When the VAR room makes its decision it needs to be sure that there was a ‘clear error’ to overrule a decision made by the referee down on the field. 

 

VAR usually activates in two types of situations. The first situation is when the referee is unsure of his decision and seeks help from his colleagues. The second instance is when the VAR room recommends a review to the referee. If the VAR room decides that the referee’s decision was wrong they are in charge of notifying him to rectify the decision. Usually, the main referee on the field follows their instructions because as we said it is always a matter of a clear error. 

 

While VAR is there to keep the game fair, the final decision still lies on the main referee. When he or she receives a notion from the VAR room, they have three courses of action. The first one is to listen to the VAR Referee and overturn the decision. The second option is to stay loyal to the first decision that was made on the field before the review, and the third option is to review the incident on the VAR monitor that is located on the side of the field. 

 

How Does VAR Work? 

Let us explain its operational process in a couple of steps. Trust us, it is not all that complicated. Here is how it goes:

Step 1

For VAR to intervene there needs to be an incident. When the incident occurs there are two ways the situation can go – either the referee from the field asks for VAR room assistance, or the VAR room notifies him that the incident needs to be reviewed. 

Step 2

After all parties are on the same page, the VAR room takes a look at the available footage and speaks to the main referee through the headset about what they saw on the field. 

Step 3

When the footage is thoroughly reviewed it is time to make a decision. While in some cases the referee will take advice from the VAR room, in some instances the footage will have to be reviewed personally by the main referee on the monitor on the sidelines. Once all parties have seen the footage a decision needs to be made. It can either be the original decision or a new one based on the review. 

When Can It Be Used?

This has already been said. There are four instances when VAR needs to step up. The most important one is about goals. It reviews everything that leads to a scoring moment with a focus on possible irregularities. The second instance is all situations that precede a penalty decision, possible offsides, or fouls in the buildup that led to a penalty kick.  The third moments are all situations that led to a direct red card. Last but not least is a situation when the main referee creates a situation of mistaken identity and the wrong player is booked. 

What everything said above means is that all situations such as fouls outside of the box and yellow cards are not going to be reviewed by VAR unless they have led to a scoring opportunity and eventual goal, or if there was a red-card situation missed by the main referee. 

The VAR Room – Referee Relationship 

The VAR room is under the direct control of the main referee. The man on the field still runs the show. The VAR Room is usually called upon by the referee. But, it is a two-way street above all else. The staff in the VAR room can call the referee and tell him that there is a situation that should be reviewed. The role of people in the VAR room is an advisory one, so the referee can decide if they want to take a look or not. 

The only moment when the referee needs to take a look is when the situation is described as a ‘clear error’. When this is not the case the referee on the field has the final say. 

How Are Incidents Reviewed?

This is where technology has entered the football field. VAR can interfere with football matches in two different ways. The first is the more direct one. When there were ‘clear errors’ that didn’t require for the main referee to look at the footage the VAR room makes a decision. These are the situations when we have an offside leading up to a goal. 

 

The second one requires the cooperation between the main referee and the VAR room. When there is a situation that needs to be reviewed, the VAR referees suggest to the main referee that he or she needs to take a look at the monitor on the sidelines and make a decision based on the footage provided. Whichever approach is used the decision is spoken to the players by the main referee who makes a TV signal with their hands.

The Review Process

When there is an on-field incident worth reviewing, the VAR room steps in. They access all the available footage and make a thorough review of all available video material. When they have a decision ready they notify the main referee through the earpiece. When the decision is final, the main referee points to his ear and then proceeds to speak to the players. In most instances, the referee also makes the official VAR signal to ensure all players are notified that the decision is incoming. When the VAR room can’t decide as there is no ‘clear error’ the main referee will make the VAR signal and run toward the sideline to see the incident on the monitor all by himself and relay the decision to everyone afterward. 

The VAR Reaction Time

Once the incident occurs, the VAR room needs to step in immediately. They have the time between two plays to make a decision. Once the game is continued the decision made by VAR will not apply. So, once they started the review one of the staffers communicated to the referee on the first stop that they were in the process of a review and that the game should stop. If there’s no decision to be made, the referee signals for the game to continue. Communication is the key to successful referee crews these days. The video and audio from the games are not yet available to the broader public, but soon enough we could get even closer to this process, and the referees in European football could become much like those in the NFL where their decision-making process is shared with the crowd at the stadium and those watching the game on TV. 

Bottom Line

Today, VAR is an essential part of the technology used to referee football games. Video Assistant Referee is used in leagues all over the world, and it’s only a matter of time until it’s going to be available in lower divisions. It’s time for football to keep up with technology development.