Velasco Carballo: VAR isn't perfect, but refereeing errors are at an all-time low
Former referee and UEFA Referees Committee member Carlos Velasco Carballo discussed the impact of technology on football at the Portugal Football Summit.
Carlos Velasco Carballo, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee, shared his perspective on the evolution of technology in football officiating during the Portugal Football Summit. The former international referee highlighted that innovation has fundamentally transformed the game, leading to a significant increase in accuracy.
"Football has never been played with fewer refereeing errors than it is today. We must recognize that the 160 VAR interventions per season in major leagues resolve a vast number of potential mistakes," Velasco Carballo stated.
VAR is not perfect, just like the humans who operate it. Technology has limitations and won't solve all issues, but it remains an invaluable aid. Carlos Velasco Carballo
The former official also addressed criticisms of the system. He noted that successful VAR interventions often go unnoticed, whereas individual errors trigger significant public outcry. He explained that VAR cannot be perfect because football intentionally opted to integrate subjective decision-making into the process, which cannot be fully automated.
Regarding technological progress, he highlighted the transition to semi-automated and fully automated offside systems in the Champions League. These systems are faster and more reliable as they track millions of data points from player skeletons, reducing human error in determining offside positions.