Peruvian Referee Uses Photographer As Improvised VAR

Whether we like it or not, VAR gained global attention this summer’s World Cup in Russia and, especially during the group stage, emerged as one of the stars of the tournament. So much so that it went on to serve as inspiration for this quick-thinking Peruvian referee.

Peruvian Referee Uses Photographer As Improvised VAR
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Peruvian Referee Uses Photographer As Improvised VAR

Love it, or, indeed, hate it, the debate over VAR looks set to keep football fans talking for a very long time. This creative Peruvian official in the video looks like he’s made up his mind. While refereeing a match on a pitch that was, shall we say, not quite FIFA-standard, a powerful shot from one of the players looks to be heading for the goal. The problem, however, is that, in real time, he’s unable to tell whether the ball was wide of the goal, or whether it went in and came out again through a hole in the net. As the discussion between the players and the referee gets increasingly heated, a pitch-side photographer comes forward with footage of the shot.

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After checking the video evidence, the referee awards the goal and, despite his limited resources, avoids what would have been a massive error. So, for pro-VAR fans looking to back up their argument, this might just be the perfect example. In fact, if Peru is looking to try out goal-line technology, we might just be able to recommend someone to help them...

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