VAR in Football – When the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) into football came about, I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about it at first. I mean, I love the fast-paced nature of the game, the drama, and the unpredictability that comes with every match. The idea of stopping the flow of play to review incidents on video just didn’t sit well with me. But over time, I’ve come to see the bigger picture. VAR has its flaws, sure, but it’s also been a game-changer in making the sport fairer. The road to fully integrating VAR into football has been bumpy, though. There have been challenges, but the sport has found ways to tackle them. So, let’s talk about the six biggest challenges VAR faces, and how football is overcoming them.
VAR in Football: 6 Challenges and How They’re Being Overcome
1. Interrupting the Flow of the Game
Anyone who’s watched football knows that one of the best things about the game is its rhythm. The back-and-forth of the play, the near-misses, and those nail-biting moments just before a goal — they’re what make it so exciting. When VAR was first introduced, one of the biggest complaints I heard from fans (and honestly, felt myself) was how much it interrupted the natural flow of the game. A goal would be scored, the crowd would erupt, and then suddenly, the players would be standing around awkwardly waiting for the VAR review.
But here’s the thing: As annoying as the pauses were at first, they’ve definitely improved over time. Referees are now under more pressure to get the decisions right and to do it quickly. In fact, the average length of a VAR review has decreased significantly. Referees are encouraged to make quicker calls, and many leagues are pushing for a 60-second rule — if the review can’t be resolved quickly, the on-field decision stands.
Pro Tip: While there’s still a bit of tension when VAR is used, most leagues are striving for a faster review process. You’ll notice that reviews are becoming less of a “disruption” and more of a brief, almost seamless part of the game.
2. Inconsistency in Decision Making
Ah, the classic football controversy: “Why did that get called, but not this?” In the early days of VAR, it seemed like there was a lot of inconsistency in how it was applied. One week, a handball in the box would be penalized, the next week, the same situation wouldn’t even be reviewed. It was frustrating for both players and fans.
Over time, however, football authorities have been working hard to standardize VAR decisions. The key here is ensuring that referees know exactly what to look for when reviewing a play, and there’s now a clearer framework for how incidents should be handled. For example, handball rules have become more clearly defined with the help of VAR, and leagues are providing more guidance on what constitutes a clear and obvious error.
Pro Tip: If you’re watching a game where VAR is being used, keep an eye on how the referees approach the review process. You’ll notice that they’re much more likely to stick to a consistent set of criteria, even if it still feels a bit subjective.
3. The “Clear and Obvious” Debate
One of the biggest sticking points with VAR has been the debate around what constitutes a “clear and obvious error.” It’s kind of like trying to define “art” — what one person sees as obvious, another might not. I remember watching a match where a goal was ruled out due to an offside, and I couldn’t help but think, “Really? That was clear?”
Here’s where things get tricky: the whole premise of VAR is to help referees make the right call when they’ve missed something important. But where do you draw the line between a reviewable mistake and a situation where the on-field decision is just “good enough”? There’s still a lot of back and forth on this. However, football governing bodies are beginning to make this clearer by offering more training for officials and even providing better tools like virtual offside technology.
Pro Tip: For fans, it helps to remember that VAR isn’t about rewriting the rules of football — it’s about fixing glaring mistakes. If something is “clear and obvious,” it’s more likely to get overturned. If it’s too close to call, the on-field decision usually stands.
4. Fan Reactions and Communication Issues
Now, here’s where things get tricky — how do you communicate a VAR decision to the crowd? Early on, fans were left in the dark. Players would be waiting for an announcement, and fans would be in limbo, unsure whether a goal would be ruled out or not. It added unnecessary tension and frustration to an already tense moment.
Luckily, improvements have been made here too. Stadiums now have screens that show the decisions being reviewed, and more stadium announcers are letting fans know what’s going on. I’ve found that being more transparent about VAR reviews really helps in keeping the crowd informed, even if the decision isn’t always what fans want to hear.
Pro Tip: If you’re at the game, take a look at the big screens — they’ll usually show you what’s happening with the review. For television viewers, the replays and commentary are often helpful in making sense of the call.
5. Bias Toward the On-Field Referee’s Decision
This is one of those things that took me a while to grasp: VAR is not supposed to completely overrule the referee’s on-field decision unless it’s clearly wrong. Sometimes, it feels like VAR is reluctant to overturn calls, especially when they involve subjective decisions, like a foul or a yellow card. There’s this “respect the on-field referee” mentality that seems to come into play, and it’s led to a bit of frustration among fans who feel like VAR isn’t being used as fully as it could be.
The good news is that this is slowly changing. More and more, we’re seeing situations where VAR steps in and does overrule a referee’s decision — and that’s a good thing. It’s an evolution in the system that’s still taking place, and while it’s not perfect, it’s moving in the right direction.
Pro Tip: If you’re wondering why VAR hasn’t changed a certain call, it’s likely because the on-field decision wasn’t “clearly wrong.” But as VAR continues to develop, we can expect more decisive calls in the future.
6. Over-reliance on Technology
The final challenge I want to touch on is the over-reliance on technology. It’s easy to think that VAR will always make the right decision, but the truth is, it’s not foolproof. Technology can only do so much. It can’t pick up on everything, especially in cases where there’s a lot of gray area (like offside or a marginal handball). Sometimes, there’s simply no substitute for human judgment.
To overcome this, football bodies are learning to better balance technology with human input. They’re refining the way VAR is used and making sure that it’s there to assist, not replace, referees. In fact, more than ever, referees are being trained to better use VAR in conjunction with their own experience and intuition.
Pro Tip: Don’t expect VAR to be perfect — sometimes, the referee’s own judgment will still play a big role. Think of VAR as a helpful assistant, but not the end-all, be-all solution.
So there you have it — six challenges that VAR in football faces, along with the ways it’s being improved. As with any major change, it’s going to take time to iron out the wrinkles. But football has made huge strides in making VAR a valuable tool for referees and fans alike. And while there will always be disagreements about specific calls, the goal of VAR remains the same: to make football fairer, more transparent, and ultimately more enjoyable for everyone involved.
