UEFA restates VAR should only overturn ‘blatantly incorrect’ calls

Officials across Europe have restated the need to use VAR only to change “blatantly incorrect” decisions and address clear missed incidents.

UEFA convened referee chiefs from all 55 national associations last week along with representatives from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the game’s laws, in a bid to reach a consensus on the best approach to officiating.

There was “unanimous” support for further measures to speed up restarts, such as the time limits on substitutions and five-second countdowns for goal kicks and throw-ins.

However, arguably the most significant statement was a restating of VAR’s original purpose.

“VAR must only intervene in situations of ‘clear and obvious’ error, i.e. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident,” a UEFA release stated.

“VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making. Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited.”

UEFA also said it welcomed clarification from the IFAB on the interpretation of mistaken identity.

Leagues and other competitions have been told the mistaken identity protocol cannot be used to deal with simulation, as it was during the World Cup, until a review of its use at the finals has concluded.

An IFAB circular has reminded them that, for now, that while the approach used during the World Cup was “well received”, VARs can only review cautions to identify the player who committed the offence that was penalised, and that the offences themselves cannot be reviewed or changed.

Switzerland controversially had Breel Embolo sent off for a second yellow card against Argentina after a booking for Leandro Paredes was overturned on review. The official found Embolo had dived.

“The fact that all 55 national associations and UEFA have agreed on guidelines towards a more consistent approach to the application of the Laws of the Game marks a significant milestone,” said Roberto Rosetti, UEFA’s director for refereeing who chaired last week’s meeting.

“It will help improve the understanding of refereeing decisions among players, clubs, supporters and all stakeholders in the game. For the popularity of football it is essential to remove all doubt from the game and ensure that the laws are applied with clarity.”

UEFA is also not expected to introduce other optional measures seen at the World Cup in its competitions, such as red cards for players covering their mouths when speaking to an opponent, or VAR checks on corners.