VAR
Also written: Video Assistant Referee
Video Assistant Referee: A system using video replays to help soccer referees make decisions.
VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee. It's a system used in soccer to help referees make correct calls during a game. Referees can use VAR to review plays, especially for important decisions like penalties or goals.
For example, if a referee isn't sure if a foul happened inside the penalty box, they can ask for a VAR review. The VAR team watches video replays from different angles and advises the on-field referee. This helps ensure fairer play by correcting clear mistakes.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is a system that supports soccer referees in making decisions. It involves a dedicated VAR team reviewing video footage of incidents from multiple camera angles. The VAR can advise the on-field referee to review potential clear and obvious errors related to goals, penalty incidents, direct red cards, and mistaken identity.
The system aims to increase accuracy and fairness in crucial match situations. Tradeoffs include potential delays in game flow and the subjective nature of what constitutes a 'clear and obvious error'.
The term VAR is appearing in discussions about automation's impact on sports. Articles like the one on the World Cup highlight how AI and automated systems, similar in principle to VAR's review process, can alter the experience of traditional events. This raises questions about the balance between technological assistance and the inherent human element or excitement.
- Automation Makes The World Cup Worse. But We Can’t Help Ourselves, Can We?Meta · Big Technology ·
- Meta Meta AI
- Meta AI's research may explore how automated systems, like VAR in sports, influence human activities and decision-making processes.
- Variable
- In programming, a variable is a symbolic name given to a memory locati
- Value Added Reseller
- A company that modifies or enhances a vendor's product to
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system was developed by the Football Association in England and officially launched in March 2018. It was implemented to assist referees in making more accurate decisions during football matches. Source ↗
Watch a soccer match where VAR is in use. Pay attention to moments where the referee stops the game and signals for a review. Observe how the broadcast shows replays and how the final decision is made based on the VAR's input.
The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.
- PromptRole-play a student struggling with math for AI tutor simulationSimulate a student's math struggles and uncertainty for AI tutor evaluation. · 5 min
- TemplateReusable workflow templates for healthcare teamsTeams can create and share templates for common workflows like documentation or prior authorizations. · 15 min
- TemplateTemplate for building an AI tool tailored to your workA structured approach to defining and building a custom AI tool for specific business needs. · 15 min
- TemplateEvals CSV prompt list for agent skillsA CSV file template for listing prompts used in evaluating agent skills. · 20 min
- HeuristicDouble coding agent task completion with docs linksProviding coding agents with a documentation link significantly increases their task completion rate. · 2 min
Questions people ask
- What does VAR stand for?
- VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee. It is a system used in soccer to help referees make decisions.
- When is VAR used in a soccer game?
- VAR is used to review potential clear errors in four key situations: goals, penalty incidents, red cards, and mistaken identity.
First seen on Subvolts Jul 6, 2026. Updated Sep 15, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.