Can VAR solve Indian football’s officiating woes?

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season is approaching its climax and one of the most debated topics this year has been the quality of refereeing.

The season has seen a staggering number of questionable decisions, overturned red cards, and controversial calls that have left fans and clubs frustrated.

Even Odisha FC’s head coach, Sergio Lobera, found himself at the receiving end of a dubious red card, which was later overturned—highlighting that even coaches are not immune to officiating errors.

The tipping point for Lobera came during Odisha’s match against Punjab on February 10, when Rahul KP was controversially sent off and Lobera openly criticized the officiating, stating, "It's so painful for me to see what is happening with the level of referees."

With fans and clubs now demanding the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, the big question is this - can VAR solve Indian football’s officiating woes?

More importantly, can AIFF afford it, and is it even worth implementing in Indian football?

VAR: A double-edged sword

At the outset, football was late to embrace technology. While slow-motion replays were available to TV audiences since the 1970s, referees were only granted access to these adjudicate on-field instances in the 2010s.

The infamous 2010 FIFA World Cup incident where England’s Frank Lampard was denied a legitimate goal against Germany due to a missed call accelerated the push for goal-line technology.

FIFA approved this in 2012, and by 2016, it was in use at major tournaments.

Then, in March 2018, VAR was formally introduced to assist referees, forever altering football.

While VAR aims to improve accuracy, it has not been without its flaws.

The English Premier League (EPL), one of the most high-profile leagues using VAR, has faced significant backlash.

A 2020 YouGov survey revealed that two-thirds of English fans believed VAR made the game less enjoyable, and only 8% supported its continued operation in its existing form.

Despite this, VAR has remained in place because once introduced, reversing its use becomes nearly impossible due to the heightened expectations of fairness in decision-making.

Sweden is currently the only top-30-ranked European football league that has not implemented VAR.

Fans and clubs have taken a stand against the technology, arguing that it ruins the emotional spontaneity of football.

Lessons from Norway

Norway’s experience with VAR offers critical insights, particularly as Indian football contemplates adopting the system.

The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is now reconsidering its decision to implement VAR due to widespread protests.

In 2020, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) finalized its decision to implement VAR, coinciding with a media rights agreement signed with Norwegian broadcaster TV2 for the period 2023-2028.

Now, after two years of VAR usage, widespread protests have emerged. The backlash has been so severe that the NFF has scheduled a vote at its Congress on March 1-2, 2025, to determine whether to keep or scrap VAR.

In theory, around 1,700 clubs are eligible to participate in the decision-making process, though realistically, 300-400 clubs are expected to vote.

During the 2024 season, several matches were disrupted by supporter protests.

One of the most notable incidents occurred during a game between Rosenborg and Lillestrøm, where fans threw fish balls onto the pitch, leading to the match being abandoned.

The game was later rescheduled and played behind closed doors.

Andreas Selliaas, editor of the Norwegian news outlet Idrettspolitikk.no, told The Bridge that focusing on improving refereeing standards would be a more effective long-term solution.

"Better training of referees will improve refereeing. Better technology and more cameras may improve some of the decision-making, but also VAR decisions are made by humans, so it will never be perfect. In the end, we have to make up our mind if we accept mistakes in football or not."

Selliaas also highlights a concerning trend where VAR is not merely enforcing existing rules but actively changing the nature of football.

"What we also see is that football rules are changed because of VAR and not only is VAR making us comply with the existing rules, but VAR is changing the game. Commercially, disrupting the game can be a good thing, it can open for commercials. If this is the future, we are into a different ball game," he said.

As Indian football debates the introduction of VAR, India must address its refereeing standards before relying on VAR to fix officiating errors.

India's refereeing crisis

Indian football has long struggled with refereeing inconsistencies, but the 2024-25 ISL season has exposed these issues more starkly than ever before.

The sheer volume of errors suggests a structural problem rather than isolated mistakes.

A major factor behind these errors is inadequate training and exposure for Indian referees.

Unlike their counterparts in European leagues, who officiate in high-pressure environments regularly, Indian referees often lack the necessary experience to handle fast-paced and high-stakes matches effectively.

If the same referees who are making poor decisions now are given access to VAR, the errors will persist, whilst encased in technological veneer.

The Premier League, despite having the world’s best technology, still experienced 13 VAR mistakes this season, down from 20 last year.

If VAR is implemented in the ISL, it could help correct some egregious refereeing mistakes, but it would not automatically elevate the overall standard of officiating.

The system requires highly trained officials to operate effectively, and if Indian referees struggle with fundamental decision-making, there is no guarantee that VAR will eliminate errors.

Investing in high-quality training programs and international exposure for Indian referees could significantly improve decision-making on the field.

Cost vs implementation woes

One of the biggest obstacles to introducing VAR in Indian football is the financial burden.

The cost of setting up VAR can range between ₹25-30 crore (approximately $3-4 million) over five years.

Additionally, individual match costs are estimated at around ₹18-20 lakh per game.

For a developing football ecosystem like India’s, this is a significant expenditure, particularly when infrastructure and grassroots development also require urgent attention.

Moreover, AIFF must consider whether investing in VAR at this stage is the best use of resources as countries like Sweden have outrightly rejected VAR, believing that it disrupts the essence of football and ruins the spontaneity of the game.

While the demand for VAR in Indian football is understandable given the frustration surrounding refereeing standards, its implementation comes with significant challenges.

The cost, logistical difficulties, and lack of trained referees could make VAR more of a hindrance than a solution.

The priority, therefore, should be referee training, and gradual technological upgrades before taking the leap into VAR.

Ultimately, technology should serve as an catalyst for change and not as a stop-gap solution.