VAR · Video review
VAR in football: what video review can check and how decisions change
A practical guide to VAR: which incidents can be reviewed, what “clear and obvious” means, how checks and on-field reviews work, and who makes the final decision.
What VAR can review
VAR is reserved for specific match-changing situations: goal or no goal, penalty or no penalty, red-card incidents (including a clearly incorrect second caution), and mistaken identity. Competitions may also choose to allow an immediate review of a clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick when it can be corrected without delaying the restart.
Check, review and “clear and obvious”
The VAR automatically checks relevant incidents, so players and coaches do not need to request a review. The referee must make an original decision. VAR can recommend a review when there may be a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident; ordinary close judgement calls are not meant to be re-refereed simply because video exists.
The referee keeps the final decision
Only the referee can initiate a formal review and the final decision always belongs to the referee. Some decisions can be changed from VAR information alone; others may lead to an on-field review at the monitor. The referee then shows the TV signal and communicates the final decision.
Limits of VAR and when a review is no longer possible
VAR does not review every foul, throw-in or routine caution. Once play has restarted, reviews are generally no longer possible, apart from limited exceptions in the protocol. There is no fixed maximum review time: accuracy is prioritised over speed, and players or team officials cannot force a review.