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When Was VAR Introduced In Football?

The introduction of technology in sports has always sparked debate, and football, often considered the most emotionally driven sport in the world, has not been immune. The Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) system has been one of the most significant changes to the game in modern history, fundamentally altering how decisions are made on the pitch. Since it was implemented, it has become a very controversial topic in the world of football, with many critics either of the use of VAR to make decisions or how it has been used, while others are happy that technology is helping the referees come to accurate decisions.

When Was VAR Introduced In Football?

Credit: Olympics.com

The idea of using video technology to assist referees was formally approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2016 after several years of testing and debate. The first time VAR was used was in a friendly match between Italy and France on 1st September 2016, and the first time it was used in a professional match was in an official first-round KNVB Cup tie between Ajax and Willem II on 21st September 2016. This was a historic moment as technology was finally being entrusted to influence referee decisions in an official football game, and how this panned out would determine whether VAR would be officially introduced in football.

However, despite getting the first go-ahead in 2016, the technology had to wait quite a while before it was introduced properly. FIFA officially approved the use of VAR for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, arguably the biggest tournament in football, during the FIFA Council meeting on 16th March 2018 in Bogota. This tournament became the first competition to use VAR in full for all the games and at all venues. This World Cup marked the official introduction of the Virtual Assistant Referee in the world of football. A total of 335 incidents were checked by the VAR over the course of the group stage, and fourteen calls made by referees were changed or overruled after being reviewed.

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After success at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, all the major football leagues around the world started incorporating the use of VAR to help referees make decisions. The Virtual Assistant Referee was introduced in the Bundesliga and Serie A in the 2017/18 season, in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Ligue 1, and the La Liga in the 2018/19 season, and was finally introduced in the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, with the English Premier League one of the latest top leagues to incorporate the use of VAR. The Virtual Assistant Referee is now used regularly in almost all football leagues around the world.

VAR has been voted in by Premier League clubs and will be introduced for the start of the 2019/20 season. pic.twitter.com/k8899ahGEZ

— FourFourTweet (@FourFourTweet) November 15, 2018

The VAR system consists of a team of video match officials who are located in a centralised video operation room. They monitor the game using multiple camera angles and high-definition replays. The on-field referee can either request assistance or receive a recommendation from the VAR team to review a decision. The team in the operation room look at the replays and decide whether they need to intervene on a particular decision and either tell the referee to overturn his original decision (in cases like offside) or ask the referee to take a look at the on-pitch monitor and decide whether his original decision needs to be overturned (in cases like penalties and red cards).

The Video Assistant Referee has the ability to intervene in major decisions only, things like whether everyone was onside and no fouls were committed in the build-up to the goal, or if the referee should award a penalty or hand out a red card. VAR cannot interfere with small aspects of the game like yellow cards or free-kicks, as that would lead to too many breaks in play. The point of a Virtual Assistant Referee was to help the main referee make correct calls and come to accurate conclusions, and while some people still criticise the use of this technology in football, it has helped the referees make correct decisions and has overall helped improve football.

For more news articles and informative updates on football terms like the Video Assistant Technology (VAR) as well as other football and cricket updates, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com.

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