International Football Federation ( FIFA) approved and Using the video assistant referee (VAR) system at the 2018 World Championships in Russia.
As stated in the article on fifa.com there is 5 Key Facts Things you should know about VAR:
1. Arbitrators all 64 matches will be provide support from a team of video assistants, consisting of a video assistant referee (VAR) and three assistant referees ( AVAR1, AVAR2 and AVAR3), who are FIFA referees of the highest category.
FIFA Referee Committee of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. First of all, the selection process took into account the candidates' experience as video assistants in national leagues and tournaments at the confederation level, as well as experience of participation in preparatory seminars and FIFA tournaments, where they had the opportunity to improve their skills by practically applying knowledge in the field of using the system video assistant referees (VAR).
Also, in addition to the 13 selected candidates, some referees and assistant referees who have been awarded the right to officiate matches at the FIFA Main Tournament will serve as video assistants during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, who will be appointed immediately before the matches.
2. The video assistant referee team is located in centralized video operator room (VOR), located in International Broadcasting Center (IBC) in Moscow.
All the main broadcaster's cameras from the 12 stadiums are fed into the video control room via a fiber optic network. The match referee, located on the playing field, communicates with the VAR team through a special radio communication system.
3. The video assistant referee team has access to all broadcast cameras and special cameras to determine the offside position.
The four video replay operators select and provide the video assistant referee team with the best angles. Two operators pre-select the most likely views, while the other two provide the final views selected by VAR and AVAR2 for each incident viewed.
The video assistant referee team has access to 33 broadcast cameras, eight of which are super slow motion cameras and four of which are ultra slow motion cameras. In addition, the team has access to two cameras to determine offside situations, which are accessible by the video assistant referee team.
For a knockout situation ( causing serious injury) two additional ones will be installed ultra slow motion cameras replay, each behind the goal, which will also be at the disposal of the VAR team.
4. The video assistant referee does not make any decisions;
Video assistance team assists the match referee in the decision-making process in four types of situations that can change the course of the game:
1. Goals and violations related to goals
2. Penalties and violations related to penalties
3. Direct red cards
4. Misidentification of a player when issuing a disciplinary sanction, the final decision is made solely by the referee.
The VAR team only contacts the referee if he has made clear and obvious errors or if he has missed serious incidents. According to the article, at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, referees will have clear instructions on exactly when to take information from the video assistant referee and when to watch the video replay themselves from near the playing field before taking the required action/decision:
Review of the video replay by the referee near the playing field, is carried out in the following situations related to the interpretation/interpretation of the Rules:
Goals
- violation committed by a player of the attacking team
- violation of an offside player
Penalty decisions
- violation leading to penalty
- violation by a player of the attacking team
All decisions related to a direct red card
Only VAR advice applies in the following situations, related to the actual decision, and not with the interpretation/interpretation of the Rules:
Goals
- a player being in an offside position leading to a goal
- the ball going out of play before a goal
Penalty decisions
- place of violation: inside the penalty area or outside it
- the ball going out of play before a penalty is awarded
- a player being in an offside position before a penalty is awarded
All cases of mistaken identification of a player when a card is issued
According to the source, the referee must give a special sign to indicate that the game is suspended to communicate with the video assistant.
A conventional signal, which is not a sign of an official video review of a game situation, is raising your hand to your ear. But the demonstration of a rectangle in the air is a sign of an official video screening.
This indicates to the referee that play has been suspended to review the original decision on a monitor located near the playing field, or to change the original decision based on information received from the video assistant (VAR).
Fans in the stadium and at the TV screens will be informed about the video replay viewing through broadcasters, commentators and audiovisual service providers (including information about the reason for viewing and its result) via a network-connected touch screen tablet.
The employee operating the tablet is located in the video operator's room (VOR) and has access to the referees' audio communication system, as well as camera angles viewed by the video assistant referee. The information system will also be used to automatically create video-related graphic templates for broadcast on television and on the stadium's giant screen.
Source: FIFA Official Website
SE expert on refereeing issues - about various technologies used during the experiment with video referees, their cost and possibility of use in Russia
Judging by the controversy that has erupted in football circles over the experiment with video assistant referees (VARs), not everyone understands what the new technologies used during tests in different countries and tournaments are. Let's talk about the details of the innovation.
WHAT EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED
Very little is needed to carry out the tests.
1. Cameras of the main broadcaster who has entered into a contract with the organization hosting the tournament. It is clear that two or three points are not enough to provide the required number of video repetitions made from different angles. In Italy, for example, they count on a minimum of eight.
2. Communication system for communication between the video assistant/video assistants and the referee.
3. Software and hardware provided by the seller or creator of a particular VAR system. With their help, game episodes are analyzed at the final stage.
4. Some of the developers offer their cameras in addition to those installed by the main broadcaster.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEGACY
None of the above can go to the Russian Football Union for free after the end. The cameras will, of course, remain with the broadcaster. But you have to pay for equipment and technology. Perhaps with some kind of discount. But pay.
We will only get experience for free. And only if our referees are among the judges of the tournament.
So far the brigade is on the list. But if in the new season they start using him only in the first division and do not return him to the Premier League, the referee will instantly lose international practice and the opportunity to work at the 2018 World Cup.
DEVELOPERS
Several systems have already been created in the world, proposed for use or already used in tests with video assistants. Someone (like, for example) preferred Hawk Eye (Smart Replay). The same developers supply equipment and programs for goal detection systems (GLT - goal line technology), which have long been used at major tournaments and in leading leagues in Europe.
Who- That chose Broadcast Solutions (Video Referee), Colosseo, Chyron Hego (Tracab), EVS (Xeebra), Evertz…
There are enough offers. Because there is demand. In tennis, handball, rugby, volleyball, hockey, American football. Interest in football is gradually increasing.
Let me remind you that at first tests began to be carried out at tournaments held in the USA, Holland, Australia, Brazil, Germany and Portugal. In 2017, VAR services began to be used in FIFA (Junior World Cup in Korea, in Russia, Club World Cup in the UAE), Australia (in the final matches of the A-League), Belgium (in the match for the country's Super Cup), Brazil (in the final games championship of one of the states), France (in the play-offs of teams of the second and third divisions), Germany (in all matches of the 2017/18 championship), Italy (at the youth team tournament), Holland (in the Cup final and play-offs), Poland ( in the Super Cup match), Portugal (in the Cup final), Korea (in several K-League matches), USA (in 25 matches in one of the lower divisions), as well as in friendly matches France - Spain, France - Paraguay, Italy - Uruguay , France - England.
The federations of the Czech Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey also expressed their desire to participate in the experiment.
We, unlike others, are going to go our own way: to take not one match (cup final), not the entire tournament (championship or championship), not four games (play-offs, between leagues), but one stadium where 15 home matches will take place in the Russian Premier League. I wonder what FIFA will say to this?
HOW IT WORKS
There are technical differences, but in general the whole chain works as follows. The broadcaster is broadcasting. The operator uses a television camera to record the match. Information is transmitted in real time to the server/servers. The user (video assistant) or users (video assistants) monitor the broadcast and analyze recordings of controversial episodes. The referee, if necessary, views the replays on the pitchside monitor.
System capabilities vary. But, I think, if you wish, you can discuss any “filling” with the developer. Modern versions allow you to save a recording for later analysis or erase it immediately after the end of the match or after a short time. You can create short videos and share them with many users. Some allow you to study a controversial episode, including in three-dimensional space.
There are many nuances. Each of the proposed systems should be studied, and then, if necessary, modified and adjusted to suit the video assistants’ own requirements and requests.
PRICE
According to representatives of Hawk Eye, their GLT (the goal detection system used by FIFA) is much more expensive than those products that have already been developed for VAR. And, they say, since the first has been used in football for a long time, there is no need to think long about introducing the second.
According to our British colleagues, the installation of goal detection systems in the Premier League cost approximately five million pounds. The arithmetic is simple. It cost £250,000 to install 14 cameras (seven per goal) at each of the 20 stadiums. The pleasure is not cheap, considering that every season there are fewer controversial issues related to the need to understand whether the ball has crossed the “ribbon” than there are fingers on both hands (and often on one).
The approximate cost range for introducing new VAR technologies, which will be useful in every match, is from one to three million euros. For the entire championship. For example, Portugal, Malaysia, Italy or Germany.
He said about ten million. This amount seems inflated, but the RFU president did not explain how it was formed.
WHAT IS THE PRICE COMPOSED OF?
It is clear that considerable costs will be incurred on the equipment and software supplied by the developer of the VAR technology.
But it is also necessary to take into account the costs of those who will directly participate in the experiment. We are talking about judges and technical specialists who will have to be involved during the tests.
And, of course, you need to spend money on those who will train arbitrators, if these costs are not included in the package offered by the developer.
DEADLINES
VAR is an innovation that our referees have not encountered. You cannot decide today to use video assistants and then immediately start testing in the Russian Championship tomorrow.
In Holland, for example, they first trained video referees, depriving them of communication with the referee on the field. Two or three people sat in a minibus, stuffed with special equipment, and carefully watched the game, noting all controversial issues and decisions of the referee. After the match, this kind of viewing team came to the referee's room and shared the collected information with the team of referees, analyzing specific episodes.
After a while, having received the appropriate experience and permission from FIFA, the Dutch launched tests online. In this case, VARs finally had the opportunity to contact the referee and give him advice and advice.
WORKPLACES
In our country they managed to come up with a name for the place where the VAR work - “secret room”. And decide that this is one of the rooms in the stadium.
In fact, the workplaces of video assistants can be located anywhere - in a mobile television station near the arena, in a minibus on a treadmill near the field, in the office of the football federation, and even in the SE editorial office. There would be a desire and technical capabilities.
Developers of VAR technologies, as a rule, propose the creation of two, maximum three, workplaces - that is, they provide the possibility of simultaneous operation of two or three video assistants.
According to my information, there is a certain secret room at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. But it is used not to host video assistants (UEFA does not intend to use them yet), but to watch matches of its tournaments (for national teams and clubs). The appropriate technique allows you to see this or that moment in detail and give an assessment to the judge. This is probably where his deputies often watch football from there.
PARTICIPANTS
In addition to the referees and their video assistants, technical specialists may or may participate in the tests. Ideally, as the product developers say, the video referee should not need or depend on the broadcast director. He must be able to independently select the necessary repetition, a recording made from the desired angle, process it and draw a conclusion. However, someone may need an assistant - a technical expert who will respond to VAR requests and work with the recording, performing the actions necessary for the video assistant.
It is clear that in such a situation the cost of tests will increase, since it will be necessary to attract additional participants.
Initially, it was said that the judging panel would include one or two video referees. However, at the Junior World Championships in Korea and the Confederations Cup in Russia, their number was increased to three.
Responsibilities among the VARs were distributed as follows. The second video assistant was responsible for studying episodes related to offside determination. And the first assistant monitored the correctness of actions in other moments - the assignment of penalty kicks, the removal of players, and the scoring of goals. While he was busy watching the video, he was protected by a third specialist from the video team, who continued to monitor the television broadcast.
FIFA was trying to kill two birds with one stone in this way. Firstly, keeping the 2018 World Championship in mind, I tried to give practice to as many judges as possible. Secondly, it sought to test the feasibility of increasing the number of VARs.
As far as I understand, in most countries only a referee working at championship matches can become a video referee. In the case of Russia, a referee of the highest group allowed to officiate at Premier League meetings (excluding assistants). But in Korea, they decided to use veterans as VARs - three dozen former referees who know modern interpretations of the rules of the game.
Of course, the psychological compatibility of the referee with his video assistants and the ability to understand each other are important, even if the test participants represent different countries and English is not their native language. According to my data, during the Confederations Cup situations arose when, under stress, the judges could not explain themselves properly. And it happened that the video referees did not help, but rather prevented the referee from doing his job on the field as he saw fit.
Minister of Sports and President of the RFU Vitaly Mutko said that a video replay system could be introduced in the Russian Championship. When and how this will happen is still unclear. We'll tell you how it works.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) made a number of changes to the rules of football back in March. The loudest of them is the video replay system. It was originally planned that its testing would begin at the America's Cup, which will take place in the USA in the summer of 2016. The system will begin to be tested in full from the 2017/18 season. Twelve football leagues have already expressed interest in taking part in the experiment. There is also one confederation - CONCACAF, which includes the countries of North and Central America. Russia was not among those interested.
Video replays should allow referees to make decisions in four controversial moments: goals scored, deletions, penalties and determining the player who should be punished. This raises several questions.
1. Will the game's timing be disrupted?
IFAB is committed to ensuring that this does not happen. At the press conference, council representatives made it clear that if there were serious delays during matches, the experiment would be stopped. The problem why the council did not want to introduce video replays is precisely that it is not entirely clear when the referee should stop to review the episode.
2. What about the definition of offside?
Referees will not stop the match to see if an offside position has been correctly assessed. But there is a caveat: moments with goals scored can be reviewed if there is a possibility that there was an offside.
3. At what level will it be used?
This issue is still under discussion. The technology will not be available to absolutely everyone. Not all teams, even at the professional level, have enough cameras to provide the right perspective to make key decisions.
4. Where are video replays already used?
The system has been successfully used in rugby, American football (NFL), cricket, hockey, volleyball, fencing and basketball.
5. Who will test?
The English Football Federation has already expressed a desire to use a video replay system in the national cup. There has also been interest in Scotland, where they want to test the system in cup matches.
6. How does the system work?
Firstly, each stadium must be provided with a large number of cameras (a specific number is not named) so that the episode can be viewed from several angles. The evaluation will be made by special video referees. Secondly, the main referee will have a choice of how exactly to use the video replay. He can either listen to advice from a video referee or watch the video himself using an iPad-like device. But to do this, the referee will need to approach the edge of the field in the area of the center line.
The IFAB is planning two types of experiments: first, video replay will be used only at the request of the referee. An alternative is that the video assistant himself signals the referee about the error. So-called "coach-requested video replays" - where each team is allowed to request several replays per game - will definitely not be part of the first part of the tests.
7. How long will it take to watch the replay?
The question of how to reduce viewing time as much as possible is the main one for IFAB. The details have not yet been worked out, but it is clear that the pause for decision-making will be limited. The closest thing to ideal is probably the NFL (American football) rules. There the referee has a minute to watch the replay. By the way, team coaches can also ask for it - twice per game. If they are successful both times, they are given a third, bonus attempt.
There are no time limits in the NBA. There they look at the replay to punish a foul, clarify which line the shot was from (count two or three points), and also determine whether the effective shot was made before the time for the attack expired.
In rugby, only the referee decides whether a video replay of an episode is necessary. He asks the video assistant to watch the moment, and he reports the decision either via radio or displays a replay on the stadium screen if the game is broadcast on TV. Unlike rugby, football replays will not be shown on large screens.
8. When should the final decision be made?
If, based on the results of two years of testing, the experiment is considered unsuccessful, the system will not be introduced. If the tests go well, the use of video replays around the world will begin from the 2018/19 season.
Levnikov: Russia shouldn’t rush into video replays
The head of the RFU referee committee, Nikolai Levnikov, explained why Russia should not now participate in the experiment with the introduction of a video replay system.
As you know, 12 leagues have expressed a desire to test the video replay system. Russian among them. Are there any more opportunities to become a participant in the experiment?
The door is open for those who wish. But I see no reason to rush,” says Nikolai Levnikov. - Yes, in a number of countries they want to test the video replay system. In these tournaments, matches are filmed with a large number of cameras. At the same time, I don’t think that the experiment will take place immediately at the level of the top divisions.
I heard a proposal to test video replays in matches of the Russian second division. But often one camera is used at matches. If you watch replays only from it, it will lead to a dead end. Therefore, we must first make sure that the methodology that will be adopted after the first experiments will allow us to participate in them. The point is that in the shortest period of time one of the judges can review the controversial episode and make the right decision. But this is not always possible. An example is the second goal of “Rostov” against “Spartak”. Experts have watched the video many times, but still some believe that it was offside, while others believe that the attacking player was on the same line as the attacker.
There are countries that are already ready for the experiment. Let's look at their experience. And we’ll see if we can adopt it so as not to cause unnecessary excitement around the refereeing.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will go down in history as it will be the first time that FIFA's video assistant referees (VARs) will be used.
While 32 teams will vie for the FIFA World Cup trophy, some officials will be in two small rooms near Moscow. They are tasked with watching matches on video monitors.
During the World Cup, four assistant referees will be present in these rooms during each match. There are 15 screens that will display 33 different camera angles.
A chief assistant will also be appointed. He will make the final decision and announce it over the phone. There will also be a person monitoring the video feed during discussions, and another one to check for errors. All assistant judges are men.
Other sports already use this video technology to assist referees, but this will be the first time the World Cup has used this practice.
How will VAR be used in the game?
With this technology, referees will be able to call for review of possible errors and serious incidents, missed situations related to the game. It will also be used in controversial cases.
To call the video assistant, the referee will make a symbol with his hands. But it's still up to the referee to make the final call depending on what the VAR picks up.
"The purpose of VAR is to avoid serious mistakes in the game", said FIFA chief referee Pierluigi Collina.
“Usually there are different opinions on incidents, but this will be the final answer.”, he added.
Replays will be shown on giant screens in stadiums following VAR's decision. There will also be someone who will relay the decision to the stadium staff and television commentators.
Will this technology take time away from the game?
Ahead of the World Cup, FIFA officials assured the referee that they had the option to take as much time as necessary to review the game because the lost time would be made up at the end of the match.
"We don't want to lose a second of the game", said Massimo Busacca, head of FIFA's refereeing department, during a press conference.
Since no time will be wasted, judges may request additional decisions.
Why is this technology being debated?
Some football fans are against the use of VAR as they believe it kills the spirit of the game. But FIFA hopes the system will change fans' perceptions of referees who are biased, incompetent or corrupt.
After several years of testing in various tournaments, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was approved by the international football governing body for use at the 2018 World Cup. The FIFA supplier was Hawk-Eye (owned by Sony), whose video services have long been working in volleyball and tennis and other sports. In Russia, the VAR system is installed only at the Krasnodar stadium - on the initiative and at the expense of the owner Sergei Galitsky. And it is not yet clear whether the equipment will remain in the arenas of the World Cup after its completion. Forbes explains how the video replay system works and what costs it requires.
What is a video assistant referee system?(VAR)
Each World Cup match is served by a video team of eight people: a video assistant referee, three assistant referees and four replay operators. There are two monitors in front of the video assistant: on the top one there is a broadcast from the main camera, and on the bottom one, divided into four segments, you can view the desired episode in detail. The first assistant monitors the image from the main camera, informing the video referee about what is happening on the field if he is busy analyzing the episode. The second assistant is responsible for the offside cameras. The third watches the television broadcast and helps the video assistant in assessing controversial situations.
FIFA has appointed 13 referees from 9 countries as video assistants for the 2018 World Cup. The appointment took into account experience with the VAR system in national leagues and national team matches, so there are no Russians among them. But the list of field referees included a team from Russia: chief referee Sergei Karasev, as well as linesmen Tikhon Kalugin and Anton Averyanov.
Sergey Karasev, World Championship referee - 2018:
“For a year and a half, every month we went to a week-long training camp dedicated to testing the VAR system. It is important to properly build communication between the referee on the field and the video assistants so as not to lose the pace of the game. The video crew can only intervene in cases of obvious errors. Working as a video assistant is many times more difficult than in the field. There you rely only on yourself, but here your opinion can change the decision of another person. The responsibility is overwhelming. Plus a lot of technical issues. There are more than 30 cameras in the stadium, and you need to understand which is the best angle for a particular episode. And you can’t endlessly review the video from different angles - you need to immediately “hit the mark”, at the most informative angles.
FIFA does not regulate the time for considering a controversial episode, but if everything is done correctly, it takes on average 10 seconds. A professional judge only needs one or two repetitions to make a decision. Ambiguous situations may require 30-40 seconds, but only one or two of these occur per match - in which case the delays are compensated by added time. The video team should endeavor to give their opinion on the incident before play continues. And the chief judges have already developed a rule not to immediately resume the game after controversial moments, but to give the video crew 10 seconds to review the episode.”
At the World Championships, a team of video assistants is located in special rooms (there are only two of them) at the International Broadcasting Center in Moscow at Crocus Expo, where video from all 12 arenas is received almost instantly (with a delay of 0.3 seconds) via fiber-optic communication. The video crew receives images from 33 broadcast cameras in the stadium and has exclusive access to two additional cameras that detect offsides. During the playoffs, two more cameras (with ultra-slow motion capabilities) will be added behind the goal.
When to use VAR
A team of video assistants checks all episodes during the match, but can only intervene in the decision-making process of the main referee in four situations: goals and penalties (as well as related violations, direct red cards and incorrect identification of a football player when issuing a penalty).
An important point: the video team does not make decisions; the final word always remains with the referee in the field.
While the episode is being discussed, the referee can postpone the resumption of the game with a special gesture - a hand is put to the ear. If verbal dialogue is not enough to make a decision, the referee announces an official video replay by making a screen with his hands. In some cases (for example, a direct red card or a violation in the penalty area), the referee has the right to review the controversial episode himself on a monitor near the field. In the case of an official video replay, the entire process of considering the incident is broadcast on television so that viewers understand the essence of what is happening.
Video assistants communicate with each other via radio. The wireless headset of the chief referee in the field is connected to the same communication line: if necessary, he has the right to ask the video assistant for a hint by pressing a button. The head of the video crew (or his first assistant, if the head is busy watching the episode) can also initiate a dialogue with the referee, but only in case of a serious mistake that can affect the course of the game.
How much does VAR cost?
In the autumn of 2017, Krasnodar spent £175,000 installing a VAR system at their stadium. Although back in the spring of 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko stated that the cost of VAR equipment for one arena is $1.2 million, and maintenance will cost $100,000 per year.
Konstantin Shcherbatyuk, head of the IT department of FC Krasnodar:
“We had offers from several companies, including Russian ones, but we chose Hawk-Eye because it has the most experience in the field of video recording. The delivery set includes three servers where video signals from cameras installed in the stadium are automatically recorded. Plus equipment for converting video signals to digital, two computers, seven monitors and special software. Hawk-Eye software allows you to see any scene of the match from multiple angles, in different slow-motion and zoom modes, and also display lines on the screen to accurately determine offside. In addition, we have a roll-out terminal with a monitor - in case the referee in the field wants to personally watch a replay of the controversial episode. Our system fully complies with FIFA standards - the same ones used at the World Cup. And we use VAR at every home match, but for now in test mode, that is, without communication with the chief referee.”
How does it workVAR
Konstantin Shcherbatyuk: “The VAR system is very resource-intensive: you need to take a video signal, convert it to UHD, display it in a certain scheme on monitors, etc. At the same time, it requires constant synchronization. Before each match, the system requires adjustment taking into account the characteristics of television cameras, as well as calibration to determine offsides - the construction of a special computer model of the field. Usually VAR debugging happens the day before the game and takes several hours.”
“An hour and a half before the match, the cameraman and video assistant agree on which cameras’ images will be displayed on the monitors. Typically this takes 15-20 minutes. On the top screen there is a general plan from the main camera. Below, the picture is divided into four segments: when the game takes place on the left half of the field, there are some cameras, when on the right, there are others. You can switch to the desired configuration with one button. During the match, the entire video crew is extremely focused, working in almost complete silence and without light in order to better see the image on the monitors.”
