Motion capture study suggests improvements for VAR

The study conducted at Bath University suggests VAR is useful for preventing obvious mistakes but is currently not precise enough to give accurate judgements every time. 

VAR was introduced into association football in 2018 to help referees review decisions for goals, red cards, penalties and offsides. It uses film footage from pitch-side cameras, which gives VAR operators a view of the game from different angles in order to offer their judgements on incidents to the head referee who makes a final decision.

The accuracy and application of VAR has also been questioned by fans and former players following several controversial decisions which can change the course of the game.

Critics of VAR further argue that it hampers the flow of the game, however some research suggests it has reduced the number of fouls, offsides and yellow cards.

Dr Pooya Soltani, from Bath University’s Centre for Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), used optical motion capture systems to assess the accuracy of VAR systems.