UEFA chief referee Rosetti: 'VAR should avoid microscopic situations'
Quick summary
UEFA's chief referee Roberto Rosetti stated that VAR should focus on clear and obvious errors rather than 'microscopic' offside decisions.
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Attributed to original sourceAs UEFA present a new refereeing video library called Clear Line to improve consistency, Roberto Rosetti explains ‘the referee must referee the match’ and VAR avoid ‘microscopic situations.’
This announcement is a big step forward in not only helping officials to have clearer guidelines on decisions, but also players, coaches and fans.
The open access to this guidance should help everyone understand how and when the Laws of the Game are applied consistently across Europe.
Rosetti presents new UEFA and IFAB project MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 18: Alex Marangon Donieber Doni of AS Roma reacts with the Referee Roberto Rosetti during the Serie A match between AC Milan and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 18, 2009 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) “ It is called Clear Line , and can be accessed via the UEFA website,” explained UEFA referees’ chief and former Serie A referee Rosetti.
“We realise that everywhere now there is not any satisfaction about how VAR is impacting football. So we want to avoid microscopic situations. The context is super important. It’s football, not PlayStation. We need to be very, very careful.
“The referee must referee the match. It’s something important for football, for clear situations and clear mistakes.”
This means clamping down on the number of VAR On-Field Reviews per game.
PISA, ITALY – MARCH 2: General view of the VAR monitor inside the Arena Garibaldi stadium in Pisa during the Serie A match between Pisa SC and Bologna FC 1909 at Arena Garibaldi on March 2, 2026 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) “We wanted to come back to the origin of VAR,” added Rosetti. “We want to try to come back a little bit, and to put again the referees at the centre.”
Some challenges can look considerably worse when slowed down and zoomed in, leading to more harsh penalties and cards.
“We like referees with personality, taking decisions on the pitch, and VAR intervening only for clear and obvious situations. So clear images without too many replays. It is something that for us is very important.
“We were seeing that some on-field reviews were not connected with football. It’s about normal speed, context. It’s about football.”
Meanwhile, Rosetti also confirmed some of the updates for the VAR protocol in the 2026 World Cup will be carried on to the regular season at club level.
Those are VAR helping to overturn an incorrect second yellow card situation, moving quickly to change incorrect corners, and forcing a player to stay off the field for one minute if he takes longer than 10 seconds to complete a substitution.
There were some changes that are a little trickier, as VAR interpretation of ‘mistaken identity’ can vary wildly.
“VAR can intervene for a first yellow card in case of mistaken identity: if for example a step on foot is sanctioned and not real, seeing as it was a different player compared to the one the referee pointed at, it can be revoked. Or in the penalty area for simulation.”
The introduction of an automatic red card if a player covers his mouth when in a confrontational situation is also being scrapped.
“The referee could give a yellow card, it is their discretion in these matters. If the referee senses provocation or worse, then there can be a booking.”
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What happened
UEFA chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti outlined the philosophy that VAR interventions should be limited to clear and obvious mistakes, avoiding marginal calls often described as 'microscopic.' His guidance reinforces a trend in European football toward less intrusive use of video technology, aiming to preserve match flow while still correcting decisive errors. The statement comes amid ongoing debate about VAR consistency across UEFA competitions.
Chance analysis
Rosetti's directive signals a UEFA-wide officiating shift toward fewer, higher-threshold VAR interventions. For prediction models that incorporate referee tendencies or VAR review frequency, this suggests marginally fewer goals disallowed for marginal offside and fewer late-game reviews. It reflects a broader philosophy change that could subtly affect match outcomes in UEFA competitions going forward.
Likely to reduce frequency of marginal VAR overturns in UEFA competitions, potentially preserving more attacking goals and shortening stoppage time.
Expect fewer marginal VAR interventions in upcoming UEFA matches; predictions should not over-weight microscopic offside calls.