Has VAR (Video Assistant Referee) improved fairness in football, or has it hurt the sport’s emotion and flow?
Yes
VAR was introduced to reduce clear and obvious errors that can decisively affect: results, wrong goals given, penalties missed, or red cards overlooked. The system assists referees by reviewing match footage from multiple angles, providing more accurate decision-making for key situations like goals and penalties.
Research supports this impact: post-VAR implementation data from multiple leagues (Italy, Spain, Brazil) shows reductions in offsides, fouls, and disciplinary cards, indicating more consistent officiating. Also, accuracy rates for key calls improve with video review, building trust in match outcomes.
For many fans and officials, the idea that technology can correct human error is a big step forward, just as Hawk-Eye did for tennis. The sport is more transparent when obvious mistakes are corrected.
No
Despite boosting decision accuracy, VAR has noticeably changed the rhythm and emotional experience of football, something many fans and players complain about. Extended stoppages for reviews disrupt the natural flow of the game and dampen spontaneous celebration. A Financial Times analysis noted that while glaring errors have declined, fans increasingly feel that waiting for decisions “makes watching football less enjoyable,” and emotional moments (like goals) are deflated by delays.
Critics argue that football’s essence lies in its immediacy: scoring a goal and exploding with celebration in the moment. Waiting through long video reviews can undermine that peak experience. Even some clubs and leagues debate removing or reforming VAR entirely due to its impact on spectator satisfaction.
In addition, ultra-precise offside calls (down to millimetres) and subjective decisions can fuel controversy rather than settle it, leaving fans to feel that the technology “interferes” too much with the human element of officiating.
