Revolution in the VAR

The appearance of Velasco Carballo and Clos Gómez, president of the referees and director of the VAR project, to take stock of the season has left two strokes of the news that will be next season in LaLiga. A further step is taken in the specialization in VAR, it will be much more restrictive in terms of the people who can sit in that room, and, therefore, the criteria will be more unified. But, in addition, the VAR will have a new role in terms of hands.

The great novelty presented by the arbitration team, as a preview of what is coming next season, is the elite VAR corps. Many voices (players, coaches, referees …) asked for this figure in matches. In part, as Velasco Carballo had already said on occasion, already existed. In the first season with VAR in Spain, Álvarez Izquierdo exclusively carried out his career in the video refereeing room after leaving the field. Last season he continued to do so with Iglesias Villanueva and in the latter, this role has been performed by Iglesias and González González. But the truth is that they did not take on a large part of the games that were played either. Only 20% this last season.

Now, for next season it is intended to reinforce this specific body of VAR. For it, the number of members will be doubled. Iglesias Villanueva and González González will be joined by two other referees. One of them will be Estrada Fernández, who will stop whistling. The other is not yet known and the Committee has said that it will not reveal it yet, since neither the referee himself nor the rest of his teammates know it. What could point to a First referee who is going to be relegated and who by age prefers to leave the field and dedicate himself exclusively to VAR. These four referees will be the ones who will assume the VAR in 70% of the matches from next season, that is, 266 out of 380. The fewer referees in the VAR, the fewer different criteria. A way for the criteria to be more unified in the different parties.

The remaining 30% of matches will also be limited to another small number of braids. It cannot be anyone who exercises VAR from now on. For such matches that one of the elite VAR is not present, it will be an international referee. Basically for two reasons, they are the best and because UEFA and FIFA also demand that the field referees exercise VAR in their competitions. Therefore, referees such as Hernández Hernández or Martínez Munuera, which in Spain have great recognition in the field, They could also have a large presence in the VOR as UEFA and FIFA call for them on numerous occasions for video refereeing tasks. in Champions and Europa League. Since the field matches are usually more reserved for Mateu, Del Cerro and Gil Manzano (UEFA elite referees). Both the Canarian and the Alicante are considered two of the best VAR referees at the international level.

The rest of the team of First-class referees who are not international will not leave the VAR, although they will go on to a less important and almost more didactic role. The function of AVAR (assistant referee VAR) will be exercised by them instead of the linemen, as has happened this season. In this way, they will help the VAR referee and will also continue to train in this aspect, in case in the future they must make the leap to this new elite body. A resource that the VAR already used in the first season, when in several days some field referees did not exercise VAR and did use AVAR as they were the weakest in this regard. The idea of ​​having two referees in the VAR is not something new, since it is the modus operandi in international competitions such as the Champions League, the Europa League, the Euro Cups and the World Cups.

Around with your hands

One of the dilemmas for next season will be the hands. It is not new, since it has been focusing much of the controversy for two seasons. Especially in the latter. And the next one, as can be understood from the words of Velasco Carballo, it will be no different. “The rules of the game for next season put even more emphasis on the referee being the only one who must assess whether a hand is natural or not natural is a certain action. The rule is telling the world of football that the referee must be the one who dictates it and we must all accept them. If this season, with clear, objective and indisputable facts, controversies have been generated after excellent hits, what will happen next season, when will the referee decide and eliminate certain things that the rule said in an objective way Is the world ready to accept it? “

This may represent a new scenario in terms of VAR interventions in the hands. Since the referee's assessment itself prevails more, the position of the arm is in line with the movement he is making to decide whether or not it is natural, it could lead to less entering from the VOR of Las Rozas. Clos Gómez admitted at the press conference that the VAR has intervened this season in some hands that it should not and stopped intervening in some that it should have.