UEFA’s head of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, has cautioned that the growing use of video assistant referees (VAR) risks becoming “too forensic”, warning that excessive and microscopic interventions could undermine the flow and spirit of football.
According to a report by BBC Sport on Friday, Rosetti spoke at the UEFA Congress on Thursday, where he acknowledged that VAR has proven effective in dealing with factual decisions such as offsides and clear errors.
However, he expressed concern that the technology is increasingly being applied to subjective decisions, particularly handball incidents, leading to prolonged reviews and controversy.
“At the end of the season, we need to speak about this,” Rosetti said. “Because we cannot go in this direction of microscopic VAR interventions. We love football like it is.”
Rosetti stressed the need for greater consistency in decision-making across competitions, noting that while VAR was introduced to correct obvious mistakes, its current application sometimes goes beyond that original purpose.
Despite the concerns, statistics show that the Premier League has recorded the lowest VAR intervention rate among Europe’s top leagues this season, averaging 0.27 interventions per game. However, debates and disputes over decisions have continued to dominate discussions among fans, players and managers.
The Bundesliga and La Liga follow with an average of 0.38 VAR interventions per match, while Serie A records 0.44 and Ligue 1 0.47 per game. In the UEFA Champions League, the intervention rate is similarly high at 0.45 per match.
Rosetti’s comments are expected to fuel further discussions among football stakeholders as UEFA reviews officiating standards at the end of the season, with a focus on ensuring VAR supports the game without disrupting its rhythm or emotional appeal.
