Most checks end with no change.
Start with the distinction
A VAR check is not the same as a VAR review.
Video officials check eligible incidents during the match. Many checks are completed without stopping play for an on-field review. A formal review happens when the video team identifies a reason to reconsider the original decision under the protocol.
Subjective decisions normally involve the referee viewing the footage.
Four questions to ask
How to make sense of a controversial call
- 01
Was the incident reviewable?
VAR is restricted to goals, penalty incidents, sending-off situations and mistaken identity, with narrowly defined extensions in the current protocol. It cannot revisit every foul or booking.
See the review categories → - 02
What did the referee decide first?
The on-field decision matters. A different interpretation on replay is not necessarily a clear and obvious error. The threshold limits when VAR should ask for a change.
Understand the intervention threshold → - 03
Was the question factual or subjective?
Offside position or the location of a foul can be established from evidence. Whether contact constitutes a foul or a red-card challenge often requires judgement.
Understand offside decisions → - 04
Who made the final decision?
The referee on the field remains responsible. VAR can provide information or recommend a review; it does not take over control of the match.
Follow a check from start to finish →
The rulebook
Go to the primary source.
These explanations use the current IFAB VAR protocol. Competitions can apply permitted options differently, and the Laws can change between seasons. For the full background, read our introduction to VAR.
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