My essay looks at the big question: Does VAR make soccer fairer, or does it make the game more complicated? I explain how VAR can fix important referee mistakes, but it can also cause delays, inconsistent decisions, and frustration for players and fans. My main argument is that VAR can be useful, but it needs to be improved so the game can be both fair and exciting.
Looking for positive feedback in areas of weakness and anything that would be of help. Thank you!:
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Technology has become an important part of modern sports. Many sports use technology to help officials make better decisions, measure player performance, and review controversial plays. Soccer is one sport that has changed because of technology. The Video Assistant Referee, commonly called VAR, was introduced to help referees review important decisions and correct major mistakes. VAR aims to make soccer more accurate and fair. However, the technology has also created new problems, including delays, inconsistent decisions, reliance on human decision-making, and disruption to the game's traditional flow.
VAR can be used during important situations involving goals, penalty kicks, direct red cards, and mistaken player identities. These decisions can affect a match's final result. A wrong penalty or an incorrect red card can change the direction of a game and may affect an entire season. For this reason, having another official review of the play can help. At the same time, VAR does not completely remove human error because referees must still interpret the rules and decide whether a review is necessary. VAR has sparked controversy among fans, players, coaches, referees, and soccer organizations.
Although VAR can improve accuracy and correct major referee mistakes, its inconsistent interpretation, continued human bias, and interruptions to the game show that the system needs improvements to be more effective and fair.
Before VAR, soccer referees had to make decisions in real time without reviewing the play. Referees could ask assistant referees for help, but they usually had to depend on what they saw at the moment. Soccer is a fast-moving sport, so some decisions are difficult to make correctly. Players move quickly, the ball can change direction, and several players may be involved in one incident. A referee may not see every detail of a play.
VAR was introduced to provide referees with another opportunity to review important incidents. The technology uses video footage from different camera angles. A video assistant referee watches the match and can recommend a review when a serious and clear mistake may have occurred. According to Oliveira, Steffen, and Trojan, research on VAR is still in an early stage, but the technology has created new possibilities and challenges for sports analytics. Their systematic review explains that VAR connects to the broader goal of improving fairness in sports (Oliveira et al.).
VAR is not meant to review every decision during a match. Instead, it focuses on major incidents that may change the outcome of the game. This includes whether a goal should count, whether a penalty should be awarded, whether a player should receive a direct red card, or whether the referee identified the correct player. These situations are serious because one incorrect decision can affect both teams.
The introduction of VAR was supposed to increase confidence in refereeing. If a referee makes a serious mistake, a video review may help correct it. However, technology also changed the experience of watching soccer. Fans may celebrate a goal and then must wait while officials review the play. Players may not know whether a penalty or goal will stand. Instead of ending a controversial decision immediately, VAR can create more uncertainty.
The problem is not simply that VAR exists. The larger problem is how technology is used. VAR still depends on referees, the rules of soccer, and the judgment of the officials reviewing the play. Therefore, technology may correct one type of mistake while creating another type of disagreement.
The main fact about VAR is that it can reduce some referee mistakes, but it cannot eliminate every fairness problem. Research has found different results depending on the league, country, and type of decision being studied. These differences show that VAR does not work the same way in every competition.
Gasparetto and Loktionov studied 2,279 matches from the Brazilian first division between 2016 and 2021. They compared matches from before and after VAR was introduced. Their study examined yellow cards, red cards, and penalties to determine whether referee bias against away teams changed. They found that referee bias was "diminished, but still present" (Gasparetto and Loktionov). This finding matters because it shows VAR can reduce unfair decisions without completely removing bias.
Referee bias can happen for different reasons. Referees may be influenced by the home crowd, a team's reputation, pressure from players, or their own interpretation of a situation. Even when video footage is available, the referee still has to decide what the footage means. Video may show that contact happened, but the referee must decide whether it was serious enough to be a foul or penalty. This means that VAR does not replace human decisions.
Dufner, Schütz, and Hill found more positive results in their study of the German Bundesliga. Their research examined 2,448 matches from four seasons before and after VAR was introduced. They studied game outcomes and referee decisions, including fouls, cards, and penalties. Their findings suggested that VAR supported fairness by reducing home advantage. They found evidence of home advantage before VAR was introduced, but not after. However, the researchers also explained that the results should be interpreted carefully because the direct changes were not statistically significant in every comparison (Dufner et al.).
This study suggests that VAR may help create more balanced matches. If referees are less influenced by home crowds, away teams may have a better opportunity to compete fairly. However, the study does not prove that VAR is always fair or that it is the only reason for home advantage changes. Other factors can influence a match, including team strength, players, coaches, crowd size, and rule changes.
Işın and Yi found different results in their study of the Turkish Super League. Their research examined whether VAR changed home advantages and referee bias. They found that VAR did not significantly eliminate home advantage or referee bias in the league they studied (Işın and Yi). This finding disputes the belief that simply adding technology automatically makes soccer fairer.
The different results from Brazil, Germany, and Turkey show that VAR may be effective in some situations but less effective in others. These differences may stem from how leagues train referees, how often they use VAR, how they interpret rules, and how officials communicate with one another. The technology may be similar, but the people and procedures using it are not always the same.
The causes of the VAR problem stem from the limits of technology and the difficulty of applying soccer rules consistently. Some decisions are based on clear facts, such as whether the ball crosses the goal line. Other decisions require judgment, such as whether a player committed a serious foul or whether contact was enough to award a penalty. These judgment-based decisions are more difficult to make consistently.
The VAR debate involves more than deciding whether technology is good or bad. The real issue is the conflict between accuracy levels and the traditional flow of soccer. Soccer is known for its continuous action. Unlike sports that stop after every play, soccer usually continues until the ball goes out of play, or the referee stops the match. VAR changes this experience because it may review a decision minutes after the first incident.
Fairness in soccer has several meanings. It includes making accurate decisions, applying the rules equally, giving both teams the same opportunities, and ensuring decisions are not influenced by outside pressure. VAR may improve one part of fairness while creating problems in another part. For example, a video review may correct an incorrect penalty, which improves accuracy. However, a long review may interrupt the game and frustrate fans and players.
Another key issue is that VAR does not eliminate human decision-making. The referee on the field and the VAR officials must decide whether an incident meets the requirements for review. They must also interpret the footage and apply the rules. This can lead to disagreement even when everyone has access to the same video.
The issue also belongs to the larger problem of technology changing sports. Technology is often introduced to keep sports more accurate, but sports are not only about accuracy. They are also about emotion, tradition, speed, and fan experiences. Soccer supporters want correct decisions, but they also want to celebrate goals without worrying that the celebration will be canceled several minutes later.
The VAR problem includes the technology itself, referees, decision-making, rules, delays, fairness, players, teams, fans, and soccer organizations. These parts are connected. If VAR is used too often, the game may lose its flow. If VAR is used too little, major referee mistakes may remain uncorrected. If the rules are unclear, video review may create more disagreement instead of solving the problem.
The VAR problem is serious because referee decisions can affect a match's result. A penalty kick, red card, or disallowed goal can change which team wins or loses. In professional soccer, one result can affect a team's position in the standings, qualification for a tournament, financial income, and the future of coaches and players. Because the consequences are so important, fans expect referees and VAR officials to make reliable decisions.
Research shows that VAR can reduce bias, but it does not eliminate it completely. Gasparetto and Loktionov found that referee bias against away teams decreased but remained after VAR was introduced. This suggests that VAR may improve fairness without achieving perfect fairness. A system meant to correct mistakes must still be evaluated for the mistakes it continues to make.
The study by Işın and Yi is also important because it shows that VAR does not automatically remove home advantage. If home advantage and referee bias remain in some leagues, soccer organizations cannot assume that the technology has solved the problem. They need to examine how VAR is used and whether referees apply the rules consistently.
VAR can also affect the game's emotional experience. Soccer fans celebrate goals with excitement, but a review can interrupt that moment. Referees may check a goal for an offside position or a possible foul. Fans may wait without knowing whether the goal will count. This can create frustration and reduce the emotional excitement that makes soccer popular.
Players can also be affected. A team may celebrate a goal, only to have the decision overturned. A player may receive a red card after the referee reviews an incident. A penalty kick may be awarded after the first play has already continued. These situations can make players feel that the rules are unpredictable.
Another concern is that VAR may create a false sense of certainty. Some people may believe that video technology always produces the correct answer. However, video footage does not automatically explain what happened. A camera can show contact between two players, but officials still have to decide whether the contact was intentional, careless, reckless, or normal physical play. Technology can provide evidence, but people still interpret that evidence.
Improving VAR also comes with costs. Soccer organizations must pay for cameras, communication systems, video officials, training, and review facilities. Referees must learn how to work with VAR, and leagues may need to revise their procedures. These costs may be worthwhile if VAR improves fairness, but organizations should keep measuring whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Removing VAR completely would also create problems. Without VAR, referees would again have to make every decision in real time. Some major mistakes would go uncorrected. A wrong goal, penalty, or red card could remain part of the match even when video evidence could have shown the error. Therefore, the solution should not be to remove VAR without considering its benefits.
One short-term solution is to provide additional training for referees and VAR officials. Training should focus on consistent interpretation of fouls, handballs, penalties, offsides, and red-card situations. Officials should practice reviewing the same incidents and explaining why they should change or uphold a decision.
Another solution is to create more precise guidelines for when VAR should intervene. VAR should not interrupt the game for every possible mistake. Reviews should emphasize clear and important errors. Clearer intervention guidelines may reduce unjustified delays and help officials make more consistent decisions.
Referees should also communicate decisions more clearly. When a review changes a decision, fans and players should understand what happened and why. Research by Spitz et al. highlights that explicit communication from referees and VAR officials enhances stakeholders' trust in officiating decisions and decreases confusion among players and spectators (Spitz et al.). Clear communication may not eliminate disagreement, but it can improve trust. Fans are more likely to accept a decision when they understand the reason behind it.
Soccer organizations should also collect feedback from players, coaches, referees, and fans. These groups experience VAR differently. Referees may focus on accuracy, players consistency, and fans on delays and emotional excitement. Listening to all groups can help organizations identify the most serious problems.
These solutions are considered band-aid solutions because they may improve the current system without changing its deeper problems. Training, communication, and clearer guidelines are necessary, but they may not be enough if different leagues keep interpreting the rules differently.
Long-term improvement requires soccer organizations to evaluate VAR continuously. FIFA and professional leagues should review the rules and procedures used in different competitions. The goal should be to create a consistent system while still allowing referees to use professional judgment.
Organizations should also use research about referee bias and home advantages. Studies by Gasparetto and Loktionov, Dufner et al., and Işın and Yi show that VAR can have different effects across leagues. More research is needed to determine why these differences exist. Researchers should examine referee training, the number of reviews, the length of delays, and the types of decisions most often overturned.
Another long-term solution is to improve communication between the on-field referee and the VAR officials. Officials should have a clear process for discussing decisions. They should also be encouraged to examine decisions without feeling pressured by the first call. A referee should be willing to change a decision when the evidence supports a change.
Soccer organizations should also consider the relationship between accuracy and game pace. VAR should be used when the mistake is important enough to justify an interruption. A minor disagreement should not create a long delay. The goal should be to correct major errors while protecting soccer speed and excitement.
Players and fans should be included in future discussions. Players and fans understand how VAR affects the experience. If soccer organizations only focus on statistics, they may overlook the emotional effects of delays and overturned goals. A successful VAR system should improve fairness while maintaining the sport's trust and excitement.
VAR was introduced to reduce major referee mistakes and improve fairness in soccer. Research shows that technology can reduce referee bias and home advantages in some situations. However, other studies show that bias and home advantages may remain even after VAR is introduced. These different findings show that VAR is not a perfect solution.
The main problem is that VAR still depends on human decision-making. Referees must interpret video footage and apply rules that are not always simple. Technology can correct some mistakes, but it can also create delays, inconsistent decisions, and frustration for players and fans. Removing VAR completely would bring back the problem of uncorrected major mistakes, so the best solution is to improve the system rather than eliminate it.
Soccer organizations should provide better training, create clearer intervention guidelines, improve communication, and continue researching how VAR affects different leagues. The long-term goal should be to create a system that is accurate, consistent, and fair without unnecessarily interrupting the game. VAR can help soccer become fairer, but only if the people using technology keep improving how they apply it.
Work Cited
Dufner, Anna-Lena, Lisa-Marie Schütz, and Yannick Hill. "The Introduction of the Video Assistant Referee Supports the Fairness of the Game-An Analysis of the Home Advantage in the German Bundesliga." Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 66, 2023, article 102386. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102386.
Gasparetto, Thadeu, and Kirill Loktionov. "Does the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Mitigate Referee Bias on Professional Football?" PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 11, 2023, article e0294507. PLOS ONE, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294507.
Işın, Ali, and Qing Yi. "Does Video Assistant Referee Technology Change the Magnitude and Direction of Home Advantages and Referee Bias? A Proof-of-Concept Study." BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 16, 2024, article 21. Springer Nature, doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00813-9.
Oliveira, Maiquiel Schmidt de, Vilmar Steffen, and Flavio Trojan. "A Systematic Review of the Literature on Video Assistant Referees in Soccer: Challenges and Opportunities in Sports Analytics." Decision Analytics Journal, vol. 7, 2023, article 100232. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2023.100232.
Looking for positive feedback in areas of weakness and anything that would be of help. Thank you!:
grammar
structure
transition/flow
VAR: Fairness at What Cost?
Technology has become an important part of modern sports. Many sports use technology to help officials make better decisions, measure player performance, and review controversial plays. Soccer is one sport that has changed because of technology. The Video Assistant Referee, commonly called VAR, was introduced to help referees review important decisions and correct major mistakes. VAR aims to make soccer more accurate and fair. However, the technology has also created new problems, including delays, inconsistent decisions, reliance on human decision-making, and disruption to the game's traditional flow.
VAR can be used during important situations involving goals, penalty kicks, direct red cards, and mistaken player identities. These decisions can affect a match's final result. A wrong penalty or an incorrect red card can change the direction of a game and may affect an entire season. For this reason, having another official review of the play can help. At the same time, VAR does not completely remove human error because referees must still interpret the rules and decide whether a review is necessary. VAR has sparked controversy among fans, players, coaches, referees, and soccer organizations.
Although VAR can improve accuracy and correct major referee mistakes, its inconsistent interpretation, continued human bias, and interruptions to the game show that the system needs improvements to be more effective and fair.
Before VAR, soccer referees had to make decisions in real time without reviewing the play. Referees could ask assistant referees for help, but they usually had to depend on what they saw at the moment. Soccer is a fast-moving sport, so some decisions are difficult to make correctly. Players move quickly, the ball can change direction, and several players may be involved in one incident. A referee may not see every detail of a play.
VAR was introduced to provide referees with another opportunity to review important incidents. The technology uses video footage from different camera angles. A video assistant referee watches the match and can recommend a review when a serious and clear mistake may have occurred. According to Oliveira, Steffen, and Trojan, research on VAR is still in an early stage, but the technology has created new possibilities and challenges for sports analytics. Their systematic review explains that VAR connects to the broader goal of improving fairness in sports (Oliveira et al.).
VAR is not meant to review every decision during a match. Instead, it focuses on major incidents that may change the outcome of the game. This includes whether a goal should count, whether a penalty should be awarded, whether a player should receive a direct red card, or whether the referee identified the correct player. These situations are serious because one incorrect decision can affect both teams.
The introduction of VAR was supposed to increase confidence in refereeing. If a referee makes a serious mistake, a video review may help correct it. However, technology also changed the experience of watching soccer. Fans may celebrate a goal and then must wait while officials review the play. Players may not know whether a penalty or goal will stand. Instead of ending a controversial decision immediately, VAR can create more uncertainty.
The problem is not simply that VAR exists. The larger problem is how technology is used. VAR still depends on referees, the rules of soccer, and the judgment of the officials reviewing the play. Therefore, technology may correct one type of mistake while creating another type of disagreement.
The main fact about VAR is that it can reduce some referee mistakes, but it cannot eliminate every fairness problem. Research has found different results depending on the league, country, and type of decision being studied. These differences show that VAR does not work the same way in every competition.
Gasparetto and Loktionov studied 2,279 matches from the Brazilian first division between 2016 and 2021. They compared matches from before and after VAR was introduced. Their study examined yellow cards, red cards, and penalties to determine whether referee bias against away teams changed. They found that referee bias was "diminished, but still present" (Gasparetto and Loktionov). This finding matters because it shows VAR can reduce unfair decisions without completely removing bias.
Referee bias can happen for different reasons. Referees may be influenced by the home crowd, a team's reputation, pressure from players, or their own interpretation of a situation. Even when video footage is available, the referee still has to decide what the footage means. Video may show that contact happened, but the referee must decide whether it was serious enough to be a foul or penalty. This means that VAR does not replace human decisions.
Dufner, Schütz, and Hill found more positive results in their study of the German Bundesliga. Their research examined 2,448 matches from four seasons before and after VAR was introduced. They studied game outcomes and referee decisions, including fouls, cards, and penalties. Their findings suggested that VAR supported fairness by reducing home advantage. They found evidence of home advantage before VAR was introduced, but not after. However, the researchers also explained that the results should be interpreted carefully because the direct changes were not statistically significant in every comparison (Dufner et al.).
This study suggests that VAR may help create more balanced matches. If referees are less influenced by home crowds, away teams may have a better opportunity to compete fairly. However, the study does not prove that VAR is always fair or that it is the only reason for home advantage changes. Other factors can influence a match, including team strength, players, coaches, crowd size, and rule changes.
Işın and Yi found different results in their study of the Turkish Super League. Their research examined whether VAR changed home advantages and referee bias. They found that VAR did not significantly eliminate home advantage or referee bias in the league they studied (Işın and Yi). This finding disputes the belief that simply adding technology automatically makes soccer fairer.
The different results from Brazil, Germany, and Turkey show that VAR may be effective in some situations but less effective in others. These differences may stem from how leagues train referees, how often they use VAR, how they interpret rules, and how officials communicate with one another. The technology may be similar, but the people and procedures using it are not always the same.
The causes of the VAR problem stem from the limits of technology and the difficulty of applying soccer rules consistently. Some decisions are based on clear facts, such as whether the ball crosses the goal line. Other decisions require judgment, such as whether a player committed a serious foul or whether contact was enough to award a penalty. These judgment-based decisions are more difficult to make consistently.
The VAR debate involves more than deciding whether technology is good or bad. The real issue is the conflict between accuracy levels and the traditional flow of soccer. Soccer is known for its continuous action. Unlike sports that stop after every play, soccer usually continues until the ball goes out of play, or the referee stops the match. VAR changes this experience because it may review a decision minutes after the first incident.
Fairness in soccer has several meanings. It includes making accurate decisions, applying the rules equally, giving both teams the same opportunities, and ensuring decisions are not influenced by outside pressure. VAR may improve one part of fairness while creating problems in another part. For example, a video review may correct an incorrect penalty, which improves accuracy. However, a long review may interrupt the game and frustrate fans and players.
Another key issue is that VAR does not eliminate human decision-making. The referee on the field and the VAR officials must decide whether an incident meets the requirements for review. They must also interpret the footage and apply the rules. This can lead to disagreement even when everyone has access to the same video.
The issue also belongs to the larger problem of technology changing sports. Technology is often introduced to keep sports more accurate, but sports are not only about accuracy. They are also about emotion, tradition, speed, and fan experiences. Soccer supporters want correct decisions, but they also want to celebrate goals without worrying that the celebration will be canceled several minutes later.
The VAR problem includes the technology itself, referees, decision-making, rules, delays, fairness, players, teams, fans, and soccer organizations. These parts are connected. If VAR is used too often, the game may lose its flow. If VAR is used too little, major referee mistakes may remain uncorrected. If the rules are unclear, video review may create more disagreement instead of solving the problem.
The VAR problem is serious because referee decisions can affect a match's result. A penalty kick, red card, or disallowed goal can change which team wins or loses. In professional soccer, one result can affect a team's position in the standings, qualification for a tournament, financial income, and the future of coaches and players. Because the consequences are so important, fans expect referees and VAR officials to make reliable decisions.
Research shows that VAR can reduce bias, but it does not eliminate it completely. Gasparetto and Loktionov found that referee bias against away teams decreased but remained after VAR was introduced. This suggests that VAR may improve fairness without achieving perfect fairness. A system meant to correct mistakes must still be evaluated for the mistakes it continues to make.
The study by Işın and Yi is also important because it shows that VAR does not automatically remove home advantage. If home advantage and referee bias remain in some leagues, soccer organizations cannot assume that the technology has solved the problem. They need to examine how VAR is used and whether referees apply the rules consistently.
VAR can also affect the game's emotional experience. Soccer fans celebrate goals with excitement, but a review can interrupt that moment. Referees may check a goal for an offside position or a possible foul. Fans may wait without knowing whether the goal will count. This can create frustration and reduce the emotional excitement that makes soccer popular.
Players can also be affected. A team may celebrate a goal, only to have the decision overturned. A player may receive a red card after the referee reviews an incident. A penalty kick may be awarded after the first play has already continued. These situations can make players feel that the rules are unpredictable.
Another concern is that VAR may create a false sense of certainty. Some people may believe that video technology always produces the correct answer. However, video footage does not automatically explain what happened. A camera can show contact between two players, but officials still have to decide whether the contact was intentional, careless, reckless, or normal physical play. Technology can provide evidence, but people still interpret that evidence.
Improving VAR also comes with costs. Soccer organizations must pay for cameras, communication systems, video officials, training, and review facilities. Referees must learn how to work with VAR, and leagues may need to revise their procedures. These costs may be worthwhile if VAR improves fairness, but organizations should keep measuring whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Removing VAR completely would also create problems. Without VAR, referees would again have to make every decision in real time. Some major mistakes would go uncorrected. A wrong goal, penalty, or red card could remain part of the match even when video evidence could have shown the error. Therefore, the solution should not be to remove VAR without considering its benefits.
One short-term solution is to provide additional training for referees and VAR officials. Training should focus on consistent interpretation of fouls, handballs, penalties, offsides, and red-card situations. Officials should practice reviewing the same incidents and explaining why they should change or uphold a decision.
Another solution is to create more precise guidelines for when VAR should intervene. VAR should not interrupt the game for every possible mistake. Reviews should emphasize clear and important errors. Clearer intervention guidelines may reduce unjustified delays and help officials make more consistent decisions.
Referees should also communicate decisions more clearly. When a review changes a decision, fans and players should understand what happened and why. Research by Spitz et al. highlights that explicit communication from referees and VAR officials enhances stakeholders' trust in officiating decisions and decreases confusion among players and spectators (Spitz et al.). Clear communication may not eliminate disagreement, but it can improve trust. Fans are more likely to accept a decision when they understand the reason behind it.
Soccer organizations should also collect feedback from players, coaches, referees, and fans. These groups experience VAR differently. Referees may focus on accuracy, players consistency, and fans on delays and emotional excitement. Listening to all groups can help organizations identify the most serious problems.
These solutions are considered band-aid solutions because they may improve the current system without changing its deeper problems. Training, communication, and clearer guidelines are necessary, but they may not be enough if different leagues keep interpreting the rules differently.
Long-term improvement requires soccer organizations to evaluate VAR continuously. FIFA and professional leagues should review the rules and procedures used in different competitions. The goal should be to create a consistent system while still allowing referees to use professional judgment.
Organizations should also use research about referee bias and home advantages. Studies by Gasparetto and Loktionov, Dufner et al., and Işın and Yi show that VAR can have different effects across leagues. More research is needed to determine why these differences exist. Researchers should examine referee training, the number of reviews, the length of delays, and the types of decisions most often overturned.
Another long-term solution is to improve communication between the on-field referee and the VAR officials. Officials should have a clear process for discussing decisions. They should also be encouraged to examine decisions without feeling pressured by the first call. A referee should be willing to change a decision when the evidence supports a change.
Soccer organizations should also consider the relationship between accuracy and game pace. VAR should be used when the mistake is important enough to justify an interruption. A minor disagreement should not create a long delay. The goal should be to correct major errors while protecting soccer speed and excitement.
Players and fans should be included in future discussions. Players and fans understand how VAR affects the experience. If soccer organizations only focus on statistics, they may overlook the emotional effects of delays and overturned goals. A successful VAR system should improve fairness while maintaining the sport's trust and excitement.
VAR was introduced to reduce major referee mistakes and improve fairness in soccer. Research shows that technology can reduce referee bias and home advantages in some situations. However, other studies show that bias and home advantages may remain even after VAR is introduced. These different findings show that VAR is not a perfect solution.
The main problem is that VAR still depends on human decision-making. Referees must interpret video footage and apply rules that are not always simple. Technology can correct some mistakes, but it can also create delays, inconsistent decisions, and frustration for players and fans. Removing VAR completely would bring back the problem of uncorrected major mistakes, so the best solution is to improve the system rather than eliminate it.
Soccer organizations should provide better training, create clearer intervention guidelines, improve communication, and continue researching how VAR affects different leagues. The long-term goal should be to create a system that is accurate, consistent, and fair without unnecessarily interrupting the game. VAR can help soccer become fairer, but only if the people using technology keep improving how they apply it.
Work Cited
Dufner, Anna-Lena, Lisa-Marie Schütz, and Yannick Hill. "The Introduction of the Video Assistant Referee Supports the Fairness of the Game-An Analysis of the Home Advantage in the German Bundesliga." Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 66, 2023, article 102386. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102386.
Gasparetto, Thadeu, and Kirill Loktionov. "Does the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Mitigate Referee Bias on Professional Football?" PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 11, 2023, article e0294507. PLOS ONE, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294507.
Işın, Ali, and Qing Yi. "Does Video Assistant Referee Technology Change the Magnitude and Direction of Home Advantages and Referee Bias? A Proof-of-Concept Study." BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 16, 2024, article 21. Springer Nature, doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00813-9.
Oliveira, Maiquiel Schmidt de, Vilmar Steffen, and Flavio Trojan. "A Systematic Review of the Literature on Video Assistant Referees in Soccer: Challenges and Opportunities in Sports Analytics." Decision Analytics Journal, vol. 7, 2023, article 100232. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2023.100232.
