How VAR impacted the Beautiful Game

How VAR impacted the Beautiful Game. 

-Technology is now in the game-

If you ever played or watched a high- level professional soccer game, you probably know what a VAR  is. You probably saw the referee stop the game to go look at a small screen and then make a decision. If this were your case, you witnessed the VAR. This term stands for Video Assistant Referee, and it aims to improve referees' decision-making. Moreover, when we think in general, the VAR has improved football. However, its impact has not been properly studied or analyzed. 

What is the VAR?

The VAR system uses video cameras throughout the pitch and stadium to review key decisions made by the referee during the game. Behind all this, there is a special team in a special room, named VOR, which means Video Operation Room. They are the ones assigned to monitor the game on multiple screens, and their role is to manage the entire VAR system. In addition, if they think the match referee made a wrong decision or called on a serious situation, like a penalty, red card, or even a goal, they may alert the referee to take another look. 

The VAR system was introduced and tested in 2016 and officially used in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 in Russia. After the event, most top professional soccer leagues around the world adopted it, including leagues like La Liga and the Premier League. 

The positive impact

Before VAR existed and was adopted into the game, referees often made mistakes and errors that ruined the game and completely changed the results and the outcome. Players that deserve a red card, a disallowed goal, penalty kick,etc. Take as an example the Hand of God. A goal that Diego Maradona scored during the world cup of 1986 during a match against England, in the quarter finals. Due to all this is why the biggest claim in favor of VAR is fairness.With the inclusion of the VAR those errors are way harder to miss. Furthermore, studies have shown that VAR significantly increased the accuracy in referees decisions and actions. This affects clubs and players who prepare all year for these moments and results, accuracy is non-negotiable, especially in a massive cultural sport and economical phenomenon.  

The Negative Impact

Besides all its benefits, the VAR system still gets criticized. Data demonstrate that VAR has brought more problems than solutions in various ways. Starting with the slow down of the game. Often with reviews taking up to several or eight minutes. This kills the natural flow of the game as well as the emotion that makes soccer thrilling and exciting. Furthermore, the VAR sometimes makes microscopic decisions, like calling offside just because a player's toenail was offside by a small amount of millimeters. Moreover, communication is another feature to fix in the VAR system, and something that is non-negotiable when it comes to the fans. Fans inside the stadiums are often left confused and annoyed while the decisions are made on a far away screen, with almost no explanation. Professional Leagues like La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A face criticism very constantly, with fans even hanging and bringing hate banners. What more, fans argue that the VAR has gotten away from the spontaneous joy of celebrating a goal, converting instead in a long and anxious waiting. Ruining the emotional experience of the game. 

Conclusion 

VAR spawned into football with a noble goal: to make the game fairer by avoiding mistakes. However, as already explained in this article, the truth is that it has turned out to be so much more complicated than simple. Created new problems, instead of solving them. Like often confusing fans and turning emotional moments into long waits. Despite the technology having a high potential to improve the game, it is obvious and clear that the world of soccer is not fully ready to understand it and trust it. Until the VAR system improves, becomes faster, clearer, more accurate and consistent, the debate whether the VAR is beneficial or disadvantageous will continue very strongly.

References

Arboleda, M. S., & Vidar, J. (2022). The impact of the video assistant referee (VAR) on refereeing performance: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9413155/

Christenson, M. (2026, March 30). New survey finds 91% of fans believe football is better off without VAR. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/30/new-survey-finds-91-of-fans-believe-football-is-better-off-without-var

The Athletic Staff. (2026, March 5). VAR referee problems: How to fix the technology. The Athletic. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7086296/2026/03/05/var-referee-problems-fix/