How VAR is used in the Champions League explained

Since its introduction to football's Laws of the Game in the 2018/19 season, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has been the source of debate among many, with it having been both praised and criticized.

The aim of such technology was to aid on-field referees and allow for errors deemed 'clear and obvious' to be corrected, or missed incidents to be punished accordingly. It also served to ensure goals were correctly awarded or ruled out. This is done via a team of officials who monitor games remotely, and who have real-time access to multiple camera angles of incidents, which they can then relay to the on-field referee, who also has access to a pitch-side monitor available to him.

VAR technology has been in use in the Champions League since its introduction into the European competition in the knockout stages of the 2018-19 season, and then in every match, including the group stages, from the 2019-20 campaign.

Since then, its usage has differentiated significantly from that of its usage in the Premier League, with five signature differences outlined.

Which Incidents VAR Will Intervene In

UEFA has highlighted four key match-changing situations

UEFA were very clear about how they would utilise VAR in Champions League games from the outset, and identified four key situations where it would check for 'clear and obvious errors'. The system would intervene only if it was deemed a 'match-changing' situation.

These four scenarios are as follows: goals, incidents in the penalty area, red cards, and mistaken identity.

The most obvious example is when it comes to goals. Every goal that is scored is checked by the video assistants to determine whether the goal should stand, or whether it should be disallowed. This could be due to a number of reasons, including whether the goalscorer was offside, or whether there was an offside by an attacking player in the build-up to the goal being scored.

VAR would also be on the lookout for whether any fouls by the attacking team were made in the lead-up to the goal being scored, or in other situations where there is some doubt over whether the ball crossed out of play. For those decisions like offsides, and fouls in or outside of the penalty area - called 'factual' decisions - VAR can just inform the referee without the need for an on-field review.

Whilst the VAR team are reviewing the footage, the referee will hold up play until a decision is made. If the VAR team determines that there is 'clear evidence' that a mistake has been made, then they will refer the referee to the pitch-side monitor. There, the referee will be able to see the incident from different angles and speeds and make a final decision.

Once a decision has been made on-field, the decision will be communicated around the stadium, usually via stadium screens.

How it is Different to the Premier League

There are five major differences

The use of VAR in the Champions League is somewhat completely different to how it is applied in the Premier League. In fact, there are a total of five different instances.

Firstly, in the Champions League, any ball that is deemed to have been handled in the penalty area which changes the flight and/or trajectory of the ball is considered a penalty. In the English top flight, there is more room for interpretation, unless a handball directly leads to a goal, in which case, it would be ruled out.

Secondly, in any attacking phase of play, Premier League linesmen have been instructed to raise their flag if they deem the play to be offside. However, in Europe, play is allowed to continue on and then analysed afterward.

Another big difference pertains to the position of goalkeepers during a penalty kick. In the Champions League, VAR shoulders most of the responsibility and lets the referee know if a goalkeeper has moved off of his line too early or not. In the Premier League, the referee will speak to the VAR team if he feels that such movement has taken place, and then it is reviewed.

The other two differences are more subtle. For example, the referee will not always have to go to the on-field monitor in the Premier League, and instead, would be supported by the VAR team directly through his ear-piece. The other is that the Premier League will show fans in the stadiums replays of decisions involving VAR, whilst in the European competition, the explanation of such incident will be relayed to the fans.

As it stands, the Champions League also offers VAR semi-automated 3D technology - the SAOT system - which allows them to make an offside decision much quicker, something which was integrated from the 2022/23 season. The Premier League is expected to follow suit with the use of this technology beginning in the 2025/26 season, following delays due to issues with its accuracy.