UEFA warns VAR overuse may harm football flow, calls for consistency.
UEFA’s head of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, has warned that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system risks becoming too detailed, with too many reviews on subjective decisions.
Speaking at the UEFA Congress, Rosetti said VAR works well for clear, factual calls like offside, but excessive reviews on handball and similar incidents are slowing the game and creating confusion.
He said football should not move towards “microscopic” checks, stressing that the sport depends on flow, speed and emotion.
Data from Europe’s top leagues show rising VAR use. The Premier League has the lowest intervention rate at 0.27 per game. Bundesliga and La Liga record 0.38, while Serie A stands at 0.44 and Ligue 1 at 0.47. The UEFA Champions League averages 0.45.
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Rosetti said pressure from fans and media has pushed officials to review more incidents, often asking, “Where is VAR?” He added that VAR should be used to correct clear errors, not to delay play.
UEFA is also concerned about inconsistent handball decisions across domestic leagues. Rosetti called for one clear and uniform interpretation across Europe to reduce confusion for clubs in continental competitions.
He cautioned against expanding VAR to cover corners and second yellow cards, warning that more reviews would disrupt the rhythm of matches.
UEFA will review VAR use at the end of the season as debates continue over balancing accuracy with the flow of the game.
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