VAR Explained: What Actually Happens When the Referee Checks the Screen?

A goal has been scored, but nobody is quite sure whether it will count. The referee touches an earpiece, makes the television-screen signal with both hands and walks toward the monitor on the side of the pitch.

For players, coaches and supporters, those few seconds can feel much longer.

But what is actually happening when the referee checks the VAR screen?

Does the video assistant referee make the decision? Why do some incidents lead to an on-field review while others are settled without the referee looking at the monitor? And why can a VAR check sometimes take several minutes?

VAR can seem complicated from the outside, but the basic process is easier to understand once it is broken down.

What is VAR?

VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee.

It is a system in which match officials use video footage to assist the referee with certain important decisions. VAR is not intended to review every foul, throw-in or corner. Its use is limited to specific categories of incidents.

Under the Laws of the Game, these include:

- Goals and offences that may have occurred before a goal
- Penalty and no-penalty decisions
- Direct red-card incidents
- Mistaken identity

The aim is to correct clear and important mistakes without constantly interrupting the match.

That balance is important. Football still depends on the referee making decisions on the pitch.

The VAR team is watching before anything happens

One common misunderstanding is that VAR only becomes involved after the referee asks for help.

In reality, the VAR team is monitoring the match throughout the game.

The officials in the video operation room have access to available camera feeds and can review incidents from different angles. Replay operators help the officials find the relevant footage.

So when a goal is scored, the VAR team is already checking the important details.

They may be looking at the build-up to determine whether there was an offside, handball, foul or another incident that could affect the goal.

The first step is a VAR check

When a potentially reviewable incident occurs, the VAR checks the available footage.

This does not automatically mean the referee will be sent to the monitor.

If the video confirms the referee's decision, play can simply continue.

This is sometimes referred to as a silent check because the VAR team has reviewed the incident without needing to intervene publicly.

In other words, not every VAR check becomes a VAR review.

That is why you may occasionally see a goal celebrated almost immediately after the VAR team has checked it.

When does the VAR contact the referee?

The situation changes when the VAR believes there may have been a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident in one of the areas VAR is permitted to review.

The VAR then communicates with the referee.

Importantly, the VAR does not simply take control of the match and announce a new decision.

The referee remains responsible for the final decision.

Depending on the type of incident, the referee may receive information from the VAR and accept the factual finding, or may be asked to look at the footage personally.

Why does the referee walk to the screen?

When you see the referee walk toward the monitor, this is known as an On-Field Review, or OFR.

The referee watches the relevant footage and considers whether the original decision should be changed.

This is particularly important for decisions that involve an element of judgement.

For example, imagine a defender makes a challenge inside the penalty area.

The VAR may believe the referee should take another look because the challenge could potentially be a penalty or a serious foul.

The referee then watches the incident from the available angles before making the final decision.

The referee does not always need to check the screen

This is one of the most important things to understand about VAR.

Some decisions are primarily factual.

For example:

- Was a player offside?
- Did the ball cross the goal line?
- Did an incident happen inside or outside the penalty area?
- Which player was involved?

If the video clearly establishes the answer, the VAR can communicate the information to the referee without necessarily requiring an on-field review.

That is why one VAR decision may happen while the referee remains in the middle of the pitch, while another sends the referee to the monitor.

Why are different replay speeds used?

Another interesting part of VAR is that the footage is not always watched at the same speed.

Slow-motion footage can be useful when officials need to establish a factual detail, such as the exact point of contact in a challenge.

But slow motion can also make an incident appear more dramatic than it looked in real time.

For that reason, the Laws of the Game indicate that normal-speed footage is generally more appropriate when judging the intensity or nature of an action.

This matters because football is played at normal speed, not in slow motion.

The referee therefore needs to consider both the precise details shown by the replay and the context of the incident.

What happens during an on-field review?

When the referee reaches the monitor, the VAR team provides the relevant footage.

The referee may see several camera angles and different replay speeds.

The important thing is that the referee is not simply watching the incident for entertainment. The review is focused on a particular decision.

The referee is essentially asking:

Was my original decision clearly wrong, or did I miss something important?

After considering the footage, the referee makes the final decision.

Can the referee keep the original decision?

Yes.

A referee can watch the replay and decide that the original decision was correct.

For example, if a referee awards a penalty and the VAR recommends an on-field review, the referee may look at the footage and conclude that the original decision should stand.

The fact that the referee has been sent to the monitor does not automatically mean the original decision will be changed.

This is another reason why the referee's role remains important.

Can VAR overturn a referee's decision?

VAR can lead to a decision being changed, but the process is more specific than simply saying that “VAR overturned the referee.”

The VAR identifies a potential clear and obvious error or serious missed incident within a reviewable category.

The referee then uses the information or conducts an on-field review where appropriate.

The final decision belongs to the referee.

That distinction is easy to miss when watching a match, because television graphics often make it look as though VAR itself has made the decision.

Why does a VAR review sometimes take so long?

There is no universal time limit for every review.

Some incidents can be resolved quickly because the evidence is straightforward.

Others are more complicated.

Consider a goal that involves a possible offside and a possible foul. The officials may need to establish exactly what happened during several stages of the attacking move.

They may need to examine:

1. The position of the attacker.
2. The moment the ball was played.
3. Whether another player was involved.
4. Whether a foul occurred.
5. Whether the incident affected the final outcome.

When an on-field review is required, the referee then has to consider the footage before reaching a decision.

The priority is getting the decision right rather than completing the review within an arbitrary number of seconds.

Can players ask the referee to check VAR?

Players can obviously communicate with the referee about incidents, but they cannot demand a VAR review.

The VAR process is controlled by the match officials.

Players and coaches are also expected to respect the referee during the review process rather than surrounding or aggressively confronting the official.

That helps keep the review process under the control of the match officials.

What decisions can VAR not review?

VAR is not a second referee who can check everything that happens during a match.

Its involvement is restricted to the areas covered by the VAR protocol.

That means an ordinary decision such as a routine throw-in, corner or minor foul does not automatically become a VAR matter.

This limitation is deliberate.

Without it, matches could become extremely slow, with video reviews interrupting almost every few minutes.

Why VAR still causes arguments

Even with video technology, football decisions are not always completely objective.

Some questions have a straightforward factual answer.

Was the player offside?

Did the ball cross the line?

Other situations require judgement.

Was the challenge reckless?

Was the handball punishable?

Did an attacker interfere with an opponent?

Two people can sometimes watch the same incident and interpret the context differently.

VAR can provide the referee with better evidence, but it cannot remove every area of judgement from football.

That is one reason debates about VAR continue.

The technology is there to assist, not replace the referee

Perhaps the simplest way to understand VAR is this:

The VAR team provides another set of eyes, but the referee remains in charge of the match.

The officials in the video operation room check incidents, communicate relevant information and recommend reviews when the protocol requires it.

The referee then makes the final decision.

So when you see the referee standing at the monitor, there is much more happening than simply watching a replay.

There has already been communication between the officials, the relevant footage has been identified and the referee is now deciding whether the evidence justifies changing the original call.

Final thoughts

VAR has changed football dramatically, but the basic idea behind it is fairly simple.

The system is designed to help referees deal with a limited number of important incidents where video evidence can make a difference.

Sometimes the VAR check ends without any intervention.

Sometimes the referee receives factual information and changes a decision without going to the monitor.

And sometimes the referee personally reviews the footage before making the final call.

The next time you see a referee make that familiar screen signal, you will know that the moment is only one part of a much bigger process.

VAR provides the video evidence. The match officials assess it. The referee makes the final decision.