OSLO — The Norwegian soccer community has decided to continue utilizing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in its premier league following a decisive vote at a national soccer federation congress on Saturday. The motion to maintain the VAR system garnered 321 votes in favor, compared to 129 votes advocating for the termination of the technology, which has been a staple in major competitions since its formal introduction to soccer in 2018.
Norway integrated video review technology in 2023, though its adoption was not without controversy. Critics argued that the decision to implement VAR was made prior to reaching a consensus among Norway’s member-run clubs regarding their collective position on the technology. The rollout of VAR also sparked fan protests, primarily due to the extended timeframes of some review decisions in the initial months of its use.
Eligible voters in the decision included all clubs that are active members of the federation, in addition to federation county leaders and board members. Notably, the majority of clubs with voting rights do not experience the impact of VAR directly, as the technology is deployed solely in the league’s top division.
Had Norway opted to eliminate video review, it could have provided momentum to VAR critics in other regions. This development follows a similar decision by Premier League clubs in June, who voted to retain VAR despite having been prompted to reconsider the technology in light of controversies from the previous season. In contrast, Sweden remains one of the few European nations to have decided against implementing VAR in its league.
Proponents of VAR argue that the technology reduces human error and enhances the fairness of the game.
