VAR Technology Timeline

By zachturner7

  • First ever attempt at video assistant referee

    The Netherlands Referee 2.0 project was the first attempt at using a video review system to correct a referee's incorrect ruling.
  • Sepp Blatter ousted as FIFA President

    Sepp Blatter ousted as FIFA President

    Sepp Blatter was the old president of FIFA and was removed in 2015 due to a corruption scandal. This is significant because he was against the use of VAR in league play around the world and ultimately was the one stopping it from being used.
  • Gianni Infantino elected as next president of FIFA

    Gianni Infantino elected as next president of FIFA

    Gianni Infantino is elected as the next president of FIFA and is a big supporter of VAR technology. This was the start of a quick process to have VAR implemented into games full-time.

  • First use of VAR in International friendly

    In a game played in June of 2016 between France and Italy, VAR made its debut on the international stage by being the first time the technology was used during an international game.

  • Top-flight Australian league uses VAR

    The A-league in Australia is the first to use VAR in a major league and use it in major matches.

  • Major leagues in Italy and Germany use VAR for first season

    The top leagues in Germany and Italy use VAR for the first time for the 2017-2018 season. This was the first major league team in Europe to use the technology.

  • Major Spanish league approves use of VAR for next season

    La Liga, the major Spanish soccer league that contains teams such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid approved VAR technology to be used in their upcoming season.

  • Semi-automated technology to be used at World Cup

    Semi-automated offsides technology is to be used at the World Cup this winter. This is a big improvement compared to previous versions of the technology because there was no automated technology it was all human-operated and reviewed.