The short answer: Under the 2026/27 IFAB protocol, VAR can assist with goals, penalty decisions, red cards (including a clearly incorrect second caution), mistaken identity and, if a competition opts in, immediately correctable wrongly awarded corners. A referee makes the final decision.
The five categories of VAR review
1. Goal or no goal
VAR can check potential offences in the attacking phase that directly lead to a goal, including offside, handball, fouls and the ball going out of play. A goal does not automatically count simply because the ball crossed the line.
2. Penalty or no penalty
Was there a reviewable foul or handball? Did it occur inside or outside the penalty area? Was the ball already out of play? These questions can be checked, but subjective contact is not automatically a penalty just because a replay shows it.
3. Red cards
Serious foul play, violent conduct and denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity can be reviewed. Since the 2026/27 changes, a sending-off resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card can also be reviewed. That does not mean a referee may retrospectively award any missed yellow card through VAR.
4. Mistaken identity
VAR may help when the referee sanctions the wrong player. The protocol now covers a player from either team being wrongly identified; it is not a general invitation to reassess every yellow card.
5. Clearly incorrect corner kicks (competition option)
Competitions may choose to let VAR correct a wrongly awarded corner, but only when the correction can happen immediately without delaying the restart. The option does not mean every corner decision in every league is subject to VAR.
VAR check versus on-field review
A check is the video official’s assessment of a potential incident. Checks are part of the process and need not lead to a visible stoppage. A formal review involves the referee reconsidering a decision on VAR information or at the pitch-side monitor.
Subjective decisions, such as whether contact is a foul, usually benefit from an on-field review. More factual matters, including a player’s position or where an offence occurred, can often be communicated without the referee watching the screen. In either case, responsibility for the final decision stays with the referee.
What VAR cannot routinely review
- Ordinary fouls or cautions that do not fall within the protocol.
- A missed first yellow card, or a possible second yellow that was never shown.
- Throw-ins and routine restarts outside the specific VAR categories.
- A corner decision where the competition has not adopted the optional protocol, or where a correction would delay the restart.
The video referee is not a replacement for the on-field referee. Having access to a replay does not make a decision reviewable. The original decision generally stands unless the protocol’s threshold is met.
Frequently asked questions
Can VAR review a second yellow?
Yes, when a red card has resulted from a clearly incorrect second caution under the current protocol. It cannot review a possible caution simply because one was missed.
Can VAR review a wrong corner?
Only in competitions using the optional 2026/27 extension, and only when an immediate correction is possible without delaying the restart.
Does VAR automatically change a wrong decision?
No. The original on-field decision matters, and the referee remains responsible for the final ruling.
What do you think about VAR?
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Explore the permanent VAR vote →Primary sources and further reading
Reference material from the body responsible for the Laws of the Game. Always check the current version when interpreting a later season.