UEFA to limit VAR interventions with ‘Clear Line’ project from 2026-27

UEFA is to introduce a new project designed to clarify when VAR should intervene, with the aim of reducing controversy and ensuring that on-field referees retain responsibility for subjective decisions.

The project, called Clear Line, has been presented as an unprecedented attempt to make the decision-making process around video technology more transparent. UEFA says it will allow players, managers, journalists and supporters to gain a clearer understanding of how VAR decisions are reached.

The initiative, highlighted by Marca, comes almost eight years after VAR was introduced into European football. Since then, numerous matches have been affected by debate over when video officials should become involved and where the authority of the technology should end.

Clear Line includes more than 150 real match situations selected from almost a decade of VAR use in football. Each example has been turned into an explanatory video showing in detail how the incident should be assessed and what criteria should determine whether a review is required.

UEFA has grouped the guidance around the four areas in which VAR can intervene under the protocol: goals and incidents leading up to them, penalty-area situations that could result in a penalty, direct red-card decisions and cases involving mistaken identity.

The examples are intended to demonstrate the difference between a “clear and obvious error”, which warrants VAR intervention, and a decision based on the referee’s judgement. UEFA’s position is that such decisions should not be overturned simply because there is room for debate.

Roberto Rosetti, UEFA’s head of refereeing, said the central question for supporters was when the video assistant should become involved.

He stressed that VAR should not become a tool for checking every minor detail of a match, warning against “microscopic” reviews that could lead to frequent interruptions and undermine the flow of the game.

“This is football, not PlayStation,” the Italian official said.

UEFA’s approach is therefore intended to preserve the central role of the on-field referee. VAR will be used as a safeguard to correct major and unmistakable mistakes, rather than as a second referee in the video operation room with the power to reassess every debatable incident.

The move comes after controversy surrounding the use of VAR at the 2026 World Cup, including criticism of how the system was applied and claims that the technology intervened too often in some situations.

By contrast, UEFA appears to be adopting a more cautious philosophy. The governing body wants to shorten review periods, reduce stoppages and prevent VAR from replacing the referee when a decision is primarily a matter of interpretation.

The new guidance is due to come into effect at the start of the 2026-27 season across all UEFA competitions. That will include the Champions League through to the Conference League.

UEFA hopes Clear Line will help rebuild confidence in VAR by giving everyone a more consistent understanding of the circumstances in which video officials should intervene and those in which the final decision should remain with the referee on the pitch.