UEFA's head of referees Roberto Rosetti has criticized the overuse of VAR, stressing that the technology should only correct clear and obvious errors, not microscopically analyze every contact. He also announced the new Clear Line portal for educating clubs, players, and fans.
UEFA's head of referees Roberto Rosetti has sharply criticized the way VAR is currently used in football, stating that the video technology must return to its original purpose, correcting clear and obvious errors. In an interview with the BBC, Rosetti used a vivid comparison to illustrate the problem. "We have seen that there is dissatisfaction everywhere with the way VAR is affecting football. We want to avoid microscopic situations. Context is extremely important. This is football, not PlayStation," he said.
Rosetti spoke after holding a meeting last month with leaders of Europe's top leagues from England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy, as well as IFAB's technical director David Elleray. The goal of the gathering was to find a more consistent approach to refereeing decisions, especially regarding handball, where differences between leagues create constant controversy.
The statistics presented by Rosetti clearly show how different the criteria are. Last season in the Premier League, a penalty for handball was awarded every 17.27 matches, the rarest in Europe. In the Bundesliga, that figure was 10.93 matches, in La Liga 10.56, in Serie A 10.00, and in Ligue 1 9.27. The Champions League led with the highest frequency, a handball penalty was awarded every seven matches.
"The perception of handball in England is different. Football is not perfect, and sometimes we will continue to have similar situations that are interpreted in different ways. But at least we are working together," said Rosetti. "The idea is to be more consistent in applying the rules."
Beyond the differences in criteria, Rosetti is also concerned about the sheer frequency of VAR interventions. In the 2025/26 season, the Premier League had the lowest intervention rate in Europe, at just 0.29 per match, while the Champions League averaged 0.47. "There have been too many checks," he emphasized, warning that players are increasingly trying to force a video review.
A particular problem is also the duration of checks. Rosetti believes that any check lasting longer than 90 seconds risks losing credibility. The new collective protocol stipulates that the referee at the monitor is first shown a frozen image of the point of contact, then a slow-motion replay at half speed, and then full speed to assess the intensity of the challenge.
"We like referees with personality, who make decisions on the field, with VAR intervening only for clear and obvious situations," said the Italian. "So, clear images without too many replays. That is very important for us. We have seen that some checks on the field were not related to football. It's about normal speed, context. It's about football."
Rosetti is clear in his intention to bring the system back to its roots, mentioning historical incidents like Maradona's "Hand of God" goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup. "We wanted to return to the original VAR," he said. "We are no longer satisfied with this use of VAR. We want to step back a bit and put referees back at the center."
As a concrete step toward greater transparency, UEFA has launched Clear Line, a portal with numerous video examples of contentious situations, especially handball. Rosetti describes it as "a guide for all football people," not just referees. "It's a library, a structure, a document where we explain when and how VAR will intervene. This is not a website for referees. This is a place we want you to go after a Champions League match and check how this incident compares to this library. It's for clubs, players, fans."
