ABSTRACT
This work offers a chronological follow-up of the evolution of the experiments in international competitions, where the Video Assistant Referee’s (VAR) participation in international matches was analysed, both from the point of view of the IFAB and FIFA, as well as from some international media specialized in sport.
Efforts were made to identify advantages, disadvantages, and the worst-case scenarios defined in the first versions of the protocols developed by the IFAB Technical Subcommittee, with the support of the FIFA Technological Innovation Department, the Football Advisors Panel, and the Panel of Technology Providers, as well as football associations, leagues, and other sports and technology providers.
One thing that stands out is the continuous support and leadership FIFA contributed to this project, and the unlimited resources made available to test the VAR system. The observation and follow-up study of the experiments revealed the initial difficulties of communication between the main referee and the VAR team, which meant reviews of plays took a long time, and a lack of uniformity on what situations should be reviewed or not. Finally, there was a contradiction between the positive messages from FIFA regarding the good results of the VAR application, and the perception of the media, and players and team managers, many of whom had serious doubts about the system owing to the loss of dynamism in the game, accompanied by a sense of bewilderment among fans because they did not know what was happening on the pitch in the review of plays by VAR.
