It's football, not PlayStation - Uefa refs' chief on VAR

Uefa referees chief Roberto Rosetti has expressed concerns that some video assistant referee (VAR) reviews are not connected to football. After meeting with leaders from the top European leagues, Rosetti launched a first-of-its-kind portal called Clear Line to provide fans with a clearer understanding of when VAR should and should not intervene.

The meeting, which included referee officers from England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy, aimed to find a more uniform approach to decisions. Rosetti emphasized that VAR should not be used for microscopic situations and stressed the importance of context in football. He also noted that handball continues to be an issue, with different interpretations across competitions.

Clear Line features many video examples of handball situations to clarify what constitutes an offence. The league chief acknowledged the difficulty in reaching a consensus across competitions, particularly in the case of handball. He called for referees to maintain their on-pitch decisions and for VAR to only intervene in blatant errors.

Rosetti highlighted that lengthy VAR reviews, particularly those exceeding 90 seconds, could negatively impact player behavior and undermine the credibility of the sport. The new collective protocol agreed upon involves referees being shown a freeze-frame for the point of contact, followed by half-speed and full-speed replays. The Clear Line portal serves as a guide for all those involved in football, providing video examples and explanations of VAR's interventions in various areas, such as penalties, red card decisions, attacking offences, factual decisions, and mistaken identity.