Video assistant referees should only be used to change “blatantly incorrect” decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.<\/p>\n
Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game’s laws.<\/p>\n
Attendees said “lengthy, microscoping reviews” indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.<\/p>\n
When VAR was added to the laws<\/a> of the game in 2018 by football’s rulemakers Ifab, its “philosophy” was “minimum interference – maximum benefit”, with the intention of reducing “unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents” relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity. <\/p>\n Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.<\/p>\n “It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of ‘clear and obvious’ error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident,” Uefa said in a statement.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Officials acknowledged recent clarification from Ifab around the correct interpretation of the “mistaken identity” rule<\/a> introduced before this summer’s World Cup, which says that if a player is booked or sent off but the foul was committed by the opposition team the decision can be changed.<\/p>\n