What Is VAR in Football? Video Assistant Referee Rules

TL;DR

VAR reviews major decisions without replacing the referee. The referee remains the decision-maker, while the video team checks the footage and recommends a review when the protocol’s threshold is met.

What VAR can review

The protocol covers goals, penalty decisions, direct red-card incidents and mistaken identity. A review can include the attacking phase before a goal or the build-up to a penalty, but it is not a general replay service for every foul.

On-field review and factual checks

Some incidents can be checked as factual matters, such as whether a player was inside or outside the penalty area. For subjective decisions, the referee may watch a replay at the pitch-side monitor before making the final call.

Why decisions take time

Officials must identify the relevant phase, select useful camera angles and apply the competition’s interpretation of the Laws. Slow motion can clarify contact but can also make ordinary movement look more deliberate, so the protocol distinguishes factual checks from judgment calls.

VAR does not guarantee agreement

The final decision belongs to the referee. VAR can confirm the original call, recommend a change or find that the evidence does not meet the clear-and-obvious threshold.

Compare this with what is offside in soccer and the offside trap explained. For related match decisions, see what is a clean sheet, what is a hat-trick and F1 red flags.

Reviewed September 29, 2026.