Any player or fan will tell you about their occasional frustrations with the way a particular game is called. While often, fans are just being fans and seem to yell at every single whistle blown by the referee (hint to the group that sits next to me at ACFC games), sometimes, it can seem like decisions are made off balance. So, what exactly is the review process for calls? How do we avoid biases?
Institution of VAR
In 2023, the NWSL instituted Video Assistant Referee (or, VAR) as a means to address difficult calls or to stop errors. The VAR system is made up of cameras offering a separate match official (not on the field) an opportunity to view the play from multiple angles. There are, however, only four situations in which VAR is used:
- Goal or no goal: will review incidents in the run of play leading up to the goal, such as a foul or offsides
- Penalty kick or no penalty kick
- Mistaken identity: when the referee gave the wrong player a yellow or red card
- Direct red card
But decisions can still seem biased or unfounded. For example, in the NWSL Final between Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, the referee decided to let play continue after an apparent foul against Leicy Santos, ultimately leading to Barbra Bandas’ goal and the Orlando win. Trinity Rodman…
