June 11, (THEWILL) – UEFA’s Director of Refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, has reaffirmed that Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only intervene at Euro 2024, when there is “evidence of a clear and obvious error”. The upcoming tournament in Germany will utilise several new technologies, including semi-automatic offside detection and goal-line technology for the first time.
At Euro 2020, which was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19, there were 18 VAR corrections across the 51 matches, with nine being for marginal offside decisions. Rosetti explained, “In case of doubtful offside, assistant referees are instructed to keep their flag down unless 100% certain, allowing play to continue.” The aim is “minimum interference for maximum benefit”.
Semi-automatic offside technology will help resolve tight offside calls more quickly. “With 10 cameras tracking 29 body points per player, offside situations can be resolved instantly based on the ball’s contact point,” said Rosetti. There will also be goal-line cameras and a ‘smart ball’ with sensors providing real-time data.
The core focus for VAR will be checking for clear errors in four key areas – goals, penalty area incidents, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. “We want referees with strong personalities making decisions on the pitch”, emphasised the UEFA official.
VAR operations will be centralised in Leipzig, with a team of a referee, two assistants and three video operators monitoring each match. In total, 18 European referee teams, including one led by Portugal’s Artur Soares Dias and one Argentinian team will officiate at Euro 2024 from June 14 to July 14.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
