The recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup saw Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the finals. One highlight during the final match was when the central referee, Alireza Faghani, showed a red card to João Neves after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. It’s an isolated scenario where football match officials relied on a fairly new but powerful tool in officiating major tournaments and leagues globally.
However, many football pundits, managers, and fans who depend on free soccer tips have long viewed the VAR as controversial. So, let’s explore the facts of this technology, including its positive and negative impacts on football.
The History and Purpose of VAR
Most football fans experienced VAR for the first time during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, the cutting-edge technology was incepted in 2010 by the Refereeing 2.0 project under the Royal Netherlands Football Association.
After years of trials, the system’s initial live trial happened in 2016 during a friendly between FC Eindhoven and PSV. Then, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) agreed to the use of VARs in 2018, resulting in its high-profile use in the FIFA World Cup. Afterwards, it was embraced by top leagues, including the English Premier League (EPL), La Liga, and Serie A.
Now, it’s an integral decision-maker in modern football, helping match officials make more accurate judgements. In theory, it should limit more obvious errors—mistaken identity, goals, red cards, and penalties, etc—that could impact a game’s outcome.
Pros and Cons of VAR
Even after the initial tests and trials, the use of Virtual Assistant Referee technology has evoked mixed reactions from fans and pundits interested in football. Some believe it creates as much confusion as clarity and disrupts a match’s flow, while others believe it has improved the sport.
So, it begs the question of whether VAR is good or bad for football. The best way to solve the mystery is through the system’s pros and cons.
Pros:
- Boosted Accuracy: Football has witnessed VAR help reduce errors in critical decisions, including penalties, red cards, and offside. For example, according to statistical data from the 2024/25 EPL, VAR helped correct over 100 referee decisions that could have affected match outcomes.
- Support for Referees: Referees are humans prone to error. In essence, VAR acts as a second set of eyes, which helps them review challenging decisions in real-time. As such, it eases the pressure of high-stakes decision-making on the spot.
- Limits Simulation: Ever seen a player dive inside the penalty box, expecting to be awarded a penalty? VAR has reduced the instances of players attempting to fake fouls or participate in unsportsmanlike conduct, knowing that the game is closely monitored.
- Game Integrity and Transparency: VAR makes sure that critical errors, including offside goals or deserving red cards, don’t go unnoticed. Therefore, it helps match officials uphold transparency through visual evidence.
Cons:
- Impact on Game Flow: Not all VAR reviews are quick. Some may take longer, resulting in lengthy pauses that alter the game’s natural flow.
- Inconsistencies: Despite being an on-field referee’s second eye, some VAR decisions are still dependent on VAR technicians. So, interpretation may differ across matches, leading to questions on accuracy and claims of bias.
- Time Delays: Yes, while VAR was intended to improve accuracy in decision-making, a check could take up to two minutes. Therefore, in addition to impacting the match’s rhythm, it may lead to lengthy stoppages. Even worse, the minutes will be added after the match
- Marginal Offside Verdicts: VAR usually scans negligible offside calls, such as a fraction of a foot being ahead, causing pundits and fans to question the system’s strictness.
What Does the Future of VAR Look Like?
As the world transitions into a technologically advanced future, so does the demand for better accuracy and seamless decision-making during football matches. So far, VAR has received some key updates, including a Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and in-stadium explanations to enhance transparency.
And perhaps in the coming days, invested parties should prepare for:
- Standardization across leagues globally.
- AI integration for faster and smoother reviews.
- Continuous trials and incorporation of new rules and regulations.
- Wearable tech for finer analysis.
Conclusion: So, Is VAR Good or Bad for Football?
Whether the Virtual Assistant Referee works to improve football or derail the sport depends on personal interpretation. As seen above, the new technology has its good and bad sides. But one thing remains constant—eliminating it would be returning to ‘stone age’ practices. Who knows? Doing so may lead to even more disputes! It’s high time that critics accept that VAR technology will continue to shape how football matches operate. Actually, being a fairly recent technology means it’s just getting started. So, even though it has its fair share of controversy, puts fans’ patience to the test, and affects the usual rhythm of a game, maybe its positive impacts will soon surpass its cons.