VAR at the Euros: How will technology be used in Germany this summer?

We answer all the key questions surrounding the use of the VAR and other technology at EURO 2024 this summer.

What is VAR and will it be used at EURO 2024?

VAR, or Video Assistant Referee, is a system used in football to review and assist referees on certain decisions during a match, having first been introduced to the sport at the UEFA Champions League in 2019.

VAR, which will, of course, be used throughout the 2024 showpiece, involves the use of video footage and a team of referees who are located in a centralised control room.

It is primarily used to review incidents related to goals, penalties, red cards, and offsides, and aims to enhance fairness and accuracy in football matches by providing referees with an additional tool to make informed decisions.  

When a potentially game-changing decision is made by the on-field referee, the VAR team will review the footage from multiple camera angles to determine if there was a clear and obvious error.

If such an error is found, the VAR team will then communicate with the on-field referee, who can decide to overturn or amend their initial decision based on the VAR's findings.

The technology is now used across nearly all major European leagues, including the Premier League.

More information about how VAR is used on a wider footballing scale

How will VAR work at EURO 2024 and has it been used at the Euros previously?

VAR was used at the last staging of the European Championships in 2021, but has undergone further enhancements for the forthcoming showpiece in Germany.

UEFA have confirmed that there will be two assistant video assistant referees (AVARs) and three video operators at all EURO 2024 matches, with four video operations rooms (VORs) having been built at the Football Technologies Hub (FTECH Hub) in Leipzig, Germany, to service this.

The VAR team will constantly check for clear and obvious errors related to the following four match-changing situations this summer:

1. Goals
2. Incidents in the penalty area
3. Red cards
4. Mistaken identity

The VAR team will check all match-changing situations but will only intervene for clear and obvious mistakes, with the referee able to delay on-field play whilst a decision is being reviewed.

If the VAR review provides clear evidence of what appears to be a serious mistake in a game-changing situation, the VAR can then ask the referee to conduct an on-field review, whereby he/she will watch replays on a pitch-side screen.

VAR is also able to consider any infringement that could have taken place in the immediate build-up to the incident, during what is known as 'the attacking phase of play'.

For 'factual' decisions, such as offsides and fouls in or outside the penalty area, the VAR will simply inform the referee of those facts and use of the pitch-side screen isn't needed.

The referee, and not VAR, will always make the final decision following television reviews.

The information of the review process will be communicated within all EURO 2024 stadiums using the in-arena screens.

What additional technologies will be used at EURO 2024?

Connected Ball Technology (CBT)

In what will be a European Championship first, the official match ball throughout the tournament, will feature adidas Connected Ball Technology.

This will enable the ball to send precise data to video match officials in real time.

Combining player position data with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the new innovation will contribute to UEFA's Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and will be key to supporting faster in-match decisions.

Connected Ball Technology will also serve to help VAR officials to identify every individual touch of the ball, thus reducing the time previously spent resolving handball and penalty incidents.

Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT)

Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) is a cutting-edge system that has revolutionised offside decision-making in football, and, integrated with Connected Ball Technology, will be used at the upcoming competition.

It utilises a network of ten cameras positioned around the stadium to track the position of the ball and 29 different body positions of all 22 players on the field of play.

These cameras generate real-time data that is processed by an advanced algorithm, which then calculates the exact moment when the ball is played and the position of the attacking player relative to the last defender.

By leveraging artificial intelligence and computer vision, SAOT provides highly accurate offside calls with minimal human intervention.

The technology was introduced to professional football for the first time in 2022, in the Champions League, and is expected to be rolled out for use in the Premier League ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Goal-line Technology (GLT)

UEFA has installed the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) system at all ten host venues ahead of EURO 2024.

The system, which is operational in the Premier League, Championship and many other European leagues, features seven cameras per goal, using control software to track the ball within the goal area.

Using vision-processing techniques and software, the GLT indicates if a goal was scored within 0.5 seconds of the action courtesy of a vibration and visual signal on each match official's watch.

The Football Technologies Hub (FTECH)

The Football Technologies Hub will serve as the nerve centre for technological advancements throughout the duration of EURO 2024.

Housing Video Match Officials (VARs and AVARs), it will provide the home of data collection and distribution throughout the tournament.

VAR operations, data collection from goal-line tech and connected ball sensors, and performance analysis will all occur within the FTECH Hub, which is based in Leipzig, Germany.