WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
Referees announce VAR calls at 2023 Women’s World Cup: what in-game incidents does this include?
New Zealand were handed a VAR-assisted penalty in the opening game against Norway, which was missed by Ria Percival.
History was made in more ways than one as New Zealand defeated Norway in the opening game of the Women’s World Cup 2023. Not only did the Football Ferns record their first ever victory in the tournament at the 16th (yes, sixteenth) time of asking, but Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita became the first match official in any World Cup - men’s or women’s - to announce a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) call to fans inside the stadium and viewers watching at home using a microphone.
VAR announcements trialled at FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA trialled the system at the Club World Cup back in February, with the first such instance taking place in the match between Egyptian giants Al Ahly and, ironically, Auckland City of New Zealand.
On that occasion, Chinese ref Ma Ning reviewed the footage on-screen and announced his decision to overturn a penalty he had initially awarded to Al Ahly, instead giving them a free-kick on the edge of the box and sending off Auckland defender Adam Mitchell for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
New Zealand handed VAR-assisted penalty against Norway
In the opening Women’s World Cup game, by contrast, Yamashita used VAR in the closing minutes to check a handball in the area by Norwegian defender Tuva Hansen, which she eventually confirmed. The co-hosts’ Ria Percival smashed the penalty against the crossbar, although New Zealand held on for victory anyway.
The two examples we have seen so far in FIFA competitions have been related to different incidents, with only certain in-game situations able to be referred to VAR.
When does VAR intervene in soccer?
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) determines the laws of the game within soccer and is also responsible for VAR protocol, which they state is related to the following scenarios:
Reviewable match-changing decisions/incidents
Goal/no goal
- attacking team offence in the build-up to or scoring of the goal (handball, foul, offside etc.)
- ball out of play prior to the goal
- goal/no goal decisions
- offence by goalkeeper and/or kicker at the taking of a penalty kick or encroachment by an attacker or defender who becomes directly involved in play if the penalty kick rebounds from the goalpost, crossbar or goalkeeper
Penalty kick/no penalty kick
- attacking team offence in the build-up to the penalty incident (handball, foul, offside etc.)
- ball out of play prior to the incident
- location of offence (inside or outside the penalty area)
- penalty kick incorrectly awarded
- penalty kick offence not penalised
Direct red cards (not second yellow card/caution)
- denying a goal or obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO; especially position of offence and positions of other players)
- serious foul play (or reckless challenge)
- violent conduct, biting or spitting at another person
- using offensive, insulting or abusive action(s)
Mistaken identity (red or yellow card)
If the referee penalises an offence and then gives the wrong player from the offending (penalised) team a yellow or red card, the identity of the offender can be reviewed; the actual offence itself cannot be reviewed unless it relates to a goal, penalty incident or direct red card.
Love it or loathe it, VAR has been on the go in many parts of the world for several years now, and most of us have probably seen at least one example of all of the incidents listed above. One common misconception is that VAR can be used to issue yellow cards, which often crops up when a player who has already been cautioned commits another potentially bookable offence.