UEFA referee chief calls for tighter VAR rules and launches fan guide portal

Roberto Rosetti, the chief of UEFA referees, told a gathering of top-level league representatives that many video-assistant-referee reviews are detached from the actual play and harm the sport’s rhythm. He pointed to the wide disparity in handball interpretations, with the Premier League issuing a penalty roughly every 17.27 games, while the Champions League does so every seven games. Rosetti also noted that the Premier League’s VAR intervention rate this season was the lowest in Europe at 0.29 per match, compared with 0.47 in the Champions League.

To promote consistency, UEFA launched Clear Line, an online library that showcases video cases and clarifies when VAR should step in. The portal is intended for fans, clubs and players, offering a clear framework for penalties, red cards, attacking offences and other review categories. Rosetti concluded that VAR must focus on obvious mistakes, allowing referees to manage matches without excessive technological interference.