{"id":38246,"date":"2025-06-09T04:11:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T03:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/?p=38246"},"modified":"2025-06-09T04:12:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T03:12:26","slug":"how-var-lines-are-drawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/how-var-lines-are-drawn\/","title":{"rendered":"How VAR Lines Are Drawn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo by Flickr, CC by 2.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology remains a source of confusion and debate even though it has been around for quite some time now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Premier League, the VAR\u2019s role is strictly limited to correcting \u201cclear and obvious errors\u201d or identifying \u201cserious missed incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From their base at Stockley Park in London, trained officials monitor live footage and can intervene in four key areas: goals, penalties, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most situations, the on-field referee is encouraged to consult the pitch-side monitor before making a final call\u2014except in offside decisions, which are handled solely by the VAR team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VAR in control of offside corrections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here, there’s no room for debate with the referee on the ground. The VAR can overrule the original decision if a mistake has been made regarding offside, however marginal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Premier League’s words, offsides are “factual decisions”; there’s no grey area. Yet, offside reviews have perhaps sparked more controversy in the VAR era than any other due to how marginal they can be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A still image is used to determine whether a player is on or offside, and lines are drawn by the VAR official to work out the correct decision. The lines have gone through a couple of stages of evolution since VAR was introduced to the Premier League in 2019\/20 and remain a work in progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dotted lines gone but not forgotten<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, there are two levels of line usage for offside decisions at the Premier League level. The first is a two-dimensional gridline, placed in line with the final defender to determine routine offside decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if the naked eye can’t determine whether a player is onside from the use of a gridline, then crosshairs are implemented. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the image officials are using, one-pixel dotted lines are manually drawn against the leading body part of the last defender and attack that can score goals. From there, the VAR clicks a confirm button on his computer, and a red or green line will appear to make the final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This whole process used to be broadcast for televised games but left some fans confused and has since been simplified. As of the 2021\/22 season, now all the viewing fans get to see is the final image with the green or red line, which is still more than those at the ground are treated to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automation to remove human error<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Premier League has increased the thickness of the lines to try and eliminate the really marginal calls where a player’s toe has strayed beyond the last defender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process has improved and been made less confusing, but officials and teams are pushing for more to be done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semi-automated technology for offside calls was used at the 2022 World Cup to eliminate human error and speed up the decision-making process, which can take minutes for close calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s no need to draw lines with semi-automated offsides, reducing the risk of human error, which has been a factor in certain games this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Premier League has introduced semi-automated offsides in the 2024\/25 season before a move to fully automated offsides. That is still a few years away, but the drawing of lines may not be much longer for English football\u2019s top flight if the clubs get their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When VAR got it wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PGMOL reports that VAR was responsible for correcting more than 100 officiating errors throughout the 2024\/25 Premier League campaign. However, VAR remains a gradually improving technology and there were some cases in the past when the VAR made some costly mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal were left fuming in February 2023 when the VAR \u201cforgot\u201d to draw lines for Brentford\u2019s equaliser in the Gunners\u2019 1-1 draw with the Bees. That was the same day Brighton had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside against Aston Villa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luis D\u00edaz appeared to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead against Tottenham on 23 September 2023 with a surging run from the halfway line, but the goal was wrongfully ruled out because of offside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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"The goal by Luis D\u00edaz was disallowed for offside by the on field team of match officials. This was a clear and obvious factual error."@richardajkeys<\/a> and Andy Gray react to the PGMOL statement on the mistake made in flagging Luis D\u00edaz offside today. #beINPL<\/a> #TOTLIV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/O7CIf3tM2G<\/a><\/p>— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) September 30, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>