How did VAR work at the 2018 World Cup? (Part 1)

Despite the outstanding advantages, but not everyone supports VAR. A group of people who regularly come to the field said they were unsure when a decision to use VAR was reviewed. Meanwhile, other groups think that despite the intervention of machines, controversial situations are always a part of football.

One of the biggest differences of the 2018 football festival in Russia compared to previous World Cups, is the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology – the video technology that supports arbitration.

There are 13 video assistants, or extra referees, who sit in a special center in Moscow (regardless of where the match takes place) to watch the match through the screen. Among them is an assistant selected for each match, who will work with a team of three other assistants on duty on the field.

The assistant referee sits in a special center in Moscow

Here, the signals are streamed directly from the stadium, including the full view of the game going on as well as slow motion footage. These video assistants will notify the umpire whenever a fault is found, or the umpire will seek their input whenever necessary. However, the final decision still rests with the referee.

What can viewers see?

Audience present at the stadium: They will not be able to see the influence of VAR most of the time, apart from the rectangles drawn by the referee.

TV Audience: They watch the slow motion, the image is similar to what the referee sees.

How to identify a decision is influenced by VAR?

The entire VAR technology is focused on building around the referee, otherwise the eye will sometimes be inaudible to the audience when VAR is being used. However, there are still 3 signs to know the referees are consulting information from VAR.

Sign 1: In some cases, the referee simply receives a notification via headset from the VAR arbitration assistant. If observant, the audience can know this when the referee touches the headset.

Referees receive notifications via headphones from the VAR arbitration assistant.