Serie A begins its third season with VAR, as Nicola Rizzoli and Gianluca Rocchi explain it should be used to “help repair injustice, not do the refereeing for them.”
The technology was used in the latter stages of the Champions League, then in the World Cup, Copa America and Women’s World Cup, prompting irritation and confusion from many fans and pundits.
Italian football was the first to introduce VAR as standard in its top flight and 2019-20 will be the third campaign with this system.
Serie A begins its third season with VAR, as Nicola Rizzoli and Gianluca Rocchi explain it should be used to “help repair injustice, not do the refereeing for them.”
The technology was used in the latter stages of the Champions League, then in the World Cup, Copa America and Women’s World Cup, prompting irritation and confusion from many fans and pundits.
Italian football was the first to introduce VAR as standard in its top flight and 2019-20 will be the third campaign with this system.
“We aim to protect the referee on the pitch, so someone who does a good job out there has no need for the technology,” explained Serie A designator Rizzoli.
“The technology helps to repair an evident error and prevent injustice, not do the refereeing for them. A good VAR is someone who supports the referee on the field.
“VAR will be used to repair the damage from clear errors.”
International referee Rocchi agreed that there had to be a delicate balance, but it was a work in progress.
“Every year that we go forward brings more experience and it’s important to learn from that. The more we go on with this technology, the more positive the results will be.”
FIGC President Marcello Nicchi warned against relying too heavily on VAR.
“Technology is a matter of justice in football and helps to repair errors, but our focus has to be on developing referees on the field right from the youth level, without technology.”
There was also some confusion during the Women’s World Cup on the offside rule, but that is an objective ruling, so even if the gap is only a few centimetres, it will still be called offside.