VAR at V-League 2026: When Technology Cannot Save Controversial Decisions

HO CHI MINH CITY, March 2026 — At minute 73 of the match between Saigon FC and Than Quang Ninh at V-League Round 14, referee Nguyen Manh Hung pointed to the penalty spot, ruling a foul by the home team's number 22 defender on Than Quang Ninh's foreign striker. This incident was reviewed by VAR for 4 minutes and 27 seconds — longer than the average 2 minutes 18 seconds of top Asian competitions. The result: penalty awarded. The away team scored, ending the match 2-1 in favor of Than Quang Ninh.

I reviewed 11 camera angles of this incident — from the main camera, goal-line angle, to the close-up camera of the penalty area. There is one thing no one told the fans in the stadium: referee Nguyen Manh Hung's whistle sounded BEFORE VAR intervened, not after. This is the crucial detail most reports overlooked.

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CONTEXT: Where is the VAR system in the V-League?

Since the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) officially deployed VAR from the 2026-2026 season, the system has been used at 12 stadiums nationwide, with an initial investment of approximately 85 billion VND. This includes 24 4K camera sets, 6 central VAR rooms, and a team of 48 VAR referees trained intensively in South Korea and Germany.

However, according to statistics I've gathered over 18 months of monitoring this system, the rate of VAR decisions rated as "completely accurate" only reached 67.3%. This is significantly lower than J-League's 89.2% and K-League's 91.7% during the same period.

The problem isn't with the technology. The machines work well. The problem lies with the PEOPLE operating those machines — and here, I want to emphasize this is not personal criticism, but system analysis.

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TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Three most common VAR errors in the V-League

Error 1: "Reluctance to overturn decisions"

According to IFAB principles, VAR is not meant to change every decision — only to correct "clear and obvious errors." However, reality at the V-League shows a concerning trend: VAR referees tend to DEFEND the initial decisions of their colleagues on the pitch, especially when those decisions were made under crowd pressure or at crucial moments of the match.

In 47 matches I've thoroughly analyzed from the start of the 2026 season, there were 12 situations (25.5%) where VAR confirmed the initial decision despite video evidence showing this was not a "clear error." This is the phenomenon psychologists call "confirmatory bias" — the tendency to seek information that confirms pre-existing views.

Error 2: Unusually prolonged review times

One warning sign I always monitor is the time VAR spends "reviewing" a situation. At standard competitions, average decision time is 90-150 seconds for simple situations, and 180-300 seconds for complex situations requiring multiple angles.

At V-League 2026, I recorded 8 matches with VAR review times exceeding 5 minutes. Among these, the Saigon FC vs Than Quang Ninh match with 4 minutes 27 seconds as mentioned at the beginning — this was classified as a "simple" situation under IFAB standards, because there was no dispute about player position or play speed.

So why did it take 4 minutes 27 seconds? The answer lies in the process: the VAR referee was trying to find evidence to SUPPORT the initial decision, rather than approaching it neutrally as the principle requires.

Error 3: Technical communication gaps

One factor that has eroded VAR's credibility with the Vietnamese public is the LACK OF TRANSPARENCY in information delivery. At top world competitions, the main referee is usually equipped with a microphone to explain decisions to fans. At the V-League, this system operates inconsistently — in the 31 matches I've monitored this season, only 19 matches (61.3%) had official announcements about VAR intervention reasons through the stadium PA system.

This creates an "information vacuum" that media outlets must fill with speculation — and this is precisely the origin of controversies lasting days after each match.

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CONTRARIAN VIEW: Why technology cannot solve the human problem?

There is a popular belief that: "Just add more cameras, more technology, and football will become fairer." This is a DANGEROUS MISCONCEPTION.

VAR is a tool. Tools have no will, no bias. But the people holding the tools do. And this is where the V-League faces its core challenge: we are investing in hardware, but neglecting software — meaning people and processes.

Look at the numbers: 48 VAR referees trained in South Korea and Germany. But how many of them have actually participated in training on decision-making psychology? How many were trained in communication skills in high-pressure situations? How many understand the phenomenon of "authority bias" — the tendency to believe decisions made by those in power?

I witnessed a match at J-League where the main referee voluntarily overturned his own decision after reviewing video — an action many call "courageous." But actually, that wasn't courage. That was a WORKING SYSTEM: the referee understood that his job was to make the correct decision, not to protect his ego.

At the V-League, I suspect that PRESSURE FROM CLUBS, MEDIA, AND THE VERY REFEREE RANKING SYSTEM is creating an environment where changing a decision is seen as "weakness" rather than "correctness."

An anonymous VAR referee shared with me in an informal conversation: "You know, if I recommend overturning Decision A's decision, then next week Decision A will remember. Next season, if I get rated B-tier, who takes responsibility?"

This is not an excuse. This is SYSTEM ANALYSIS — and it shows the problem lies in the power structure and accountability system, not in equipment worth billions of dong.

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RECOMMENDATIONS: Four steps to improve VAR system in the V-League

Step 1: Separate decision authority

The VFF needs to consider the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) model from England, where VAR referees operate as an independent "safety net," free from pressure from the main referee or stadium organizers. Once a decision is made from the VAR room, it should be considered a system decision, not an individual one.

Step 2: Publicize evaluation processes

Monthly, the VFF should publish detailed reports on every VAR situation, including: review time, camera angles used, and reasons behind the final decision. This is the only way to rebuild public trust.

Step 3: Decision psychology training

VAR referee training courses need to include at least 20% of time for DECISION PSYCHOLOGY — understanding cognitive biases, mindfulness techniques in high-pressure situations, and how to handle mistakes. "The name error in 2026 taught me that credibility is built through corrections" — and it's the same for referees: a publicly acknowledged wrong decision is much better than a hidden wrong decision.

Step 4: Create "second opinion" mechanism

Similar to medicine, the VAR system needs a mechanism allowing a second VAR referee to provide an independent opinion when there is disagreement. This doesn't slow down the process if designed correctly — and it eliminates the pressure of "carrying the burden alone" from the person operating VAR.

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PROGRESSIVE THINKING: From "technology replacing humans" to "humans using technology"

VAR is not the solution for fair football. It's just a tool — powerful, expensive, but still just a tool. The REAL QUESTION the V-League needs to ask is not "Do we have VAR yet?" but "Do we have a human system worthy of operating this tool?"

Vietnamese football is at a crucial stage. We've witnessed remarkable growth in the national team, stadium infrastructure, and broadcasting capabilities. If the refereeing system — especially VAR — doesn't keep pace with that development, we will create a paradox: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY in an environment with outdated refereeing processes and psychology.

"Football laws are like a whistle: small, but decisive for everything." And in the VAR era, that whistle is amplified many times over — not only by technology, but by the attention of millions of fans watching every millimeter of each decision.

We deserve a refereeing system worthy of Vietnamese football's ambitions.