Officials and Lawmakers at Odds over Releasing VAR Audio – BBC Sport
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Left in the Dark – Will Fans Ever Get to Hear Live VAR Audio?
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Figure caption
Refereeing decisions were ‘baffling’ – Rooney
By Dale Johnson, Football issues correspondent
Published 19 minutes ago
It was one of the most controversial VAR decisions in years, yet the 74,161 inside Old Trafford were kept in the dark. When referee Michael Oliver blew his whistle to award Erling Haaland’s goal, few would have had any clue the real offside situation involved Enzo Fernandez. Viewers on television, however, were able to learn exactly what happened with the goal that gave Manchester City a 1-0 win.
It is not just about the most contentious decisions, either. On Saturday, Crystal Palace defender Axel Disasi was sent off for serious foul play in the 3-2 loss to Ipswich Town. The Chelsea loanee stood on the side of the pitch for over a minute while the VAR checked the red card. And those at Selhurst Park remained in the dark.
We’re almost 10 years into the use of the video assistant referee, and still the match-going fan is treated like a second-class citizen. The television commentary team are in a unique position, able to hear what the VAR is saying but not the referee. The idea is they can pass on the context of VAR checks to the viewers, who are not permitted to make those judgements themselves.
Will football ever get to a place where fans are trusted to hear what the video official is saying, just like other sports?
Why the VAR audio is not played out live
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Supporters were left in the dark while VAR checked the offside decision on Erling Haaland’s goal
When Howard Webb took over as the Premier League referees’ chief in 2022, he promised greater transparency and openness. Huge strides have been made on that front, and the Match Officials Mic’d Up VAR TV show was a trailblazer among the top European leagues. It was a logical move from Webb, considering his time as the boss of referees in Major League Soccer prior to his move back to England.
In 2019, MLS became the first league to publicly share VAR audio after matches through a show called Inside VAR—effectively the pre-cursor to Match Officials Mic’d Up in the Premier League.
Attempts to bring audio directly into live matches have proved unsuccessful. BBC Sport understands some leagues and the lawmakers can’t find a consensus. Webb has been part of a working group set up to lobby to get the rules relaxed, to eventually enable the audio to be played live. But the Ifab, who are football’s lawmakers, and in particular Fifa, are not close to being on board with fully pulling back the curtain.
Discussions about changing the regulations regularly stall, with concerns about the quality of communications worldwide, added pressure on officials during reviews, and that the credibility of referees could be affected. Part of the reason is that so many decisions are subjective and open to interpretation. It is possible for someone to disagree with almost any call that is made.
In an interview three years ago…
