Follow the decision pathway
Imagine a fictional goal is scored. The video officials examine the relevant footage and find no basis for intervention under the protocol. The original goal decision can stand after a check. The referee need not walk to the monitor merely to demonstrate that footage was examined.
IFAB describes a silent check where no clear and obvious error or serious missed incident is indicated. A broadcast may briefly display checking, then return to the restart without an extended public sequence. That is different from a referee personally watching replays at the review area.
A factual review can use communicated information
For a factual issue such as the location of an offence, the protocol says a VAR-only review is usually appropriate, although an on-field review can be used for management reasons. The referee remains the final decision-maker. A communicated factual finding can therefore lead to a decision without the same monitor sequence used for a subjective judgment.
Do not infer the entire process from one gesture or from whether the television director shows the video room. The broadcast picture and the officials’ communication are not identical records.
Keep the outcome separate from the process
A check can confirm the initial decision. A review can also leave a decision unchanged. Neither word means the original call must be overturned. In a useful note, record the initial decision, the process announced and the final decision as separate fields.
This explanation does not assume that every competition uses VAR or that every disputed incident is reviewable. Implementation and the current protocol matter, including any competition options. For a completed 2026 match, use the rules that applied to that event rather than assuming a later season’s changes operated retrospectively.
When selecting a replay, include the incident, any relevant earlier phase and the final referee signal. A clip ending during the checking graphic is incomplete evidence for the final outcome. Waiting for the completed decision avoids reporting a confirmed goal as disallowed simply because a check took place.
Related questions
Does no monitor visit mean no VAR check?
No. A check or factual VAR-only review can occur without an on-field monitor visit.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- IFAB VAR protocol — Silent checks, review pathway, factual VAR-only review and referee authority
