Monday, 30 April 2018

13 VAR Officials have been confirmed for World Cup 2018

After the seminar held in Italy, FIFA has officially confirmed 13 VAR officials for WC 2018. 

Video Assistant Referees (13)

AFC (1)
Abdulrahman Al Jassim (QAT, 1987)

Wilton Sampaio (BRA, 1981)
Gery Vargas (BOL, 1981)
Mauro Vigliano (ARG, 1975)

UEFA (9)
Bastian Dankert (GER, 1980)
Artur Soares Dias (POR, 1979)
Paweł Gil (POL, 1976)
Massimiliano Irrati (ITA, 1979)
Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins (POR, 1980)
Danny Makkelie (NED, 1983)
Daniele Orsato (ITA, 1975)
Paolo Valeri (ITA, 1978)
Felix Zwayer (GER, 1981)

Link to the official PDF by FIFA:
FIFA WC 2018 - List of Video Match Officials


  1. So it means there won't be any dedicated VAR official from CAF and CONCACAF. Strange regarding the latter, as the VAR technology in used regularly in the MLS... Of course, I suppose at least some of the main referees will be appointed as VAR, too.

    1. It is not just an assumption, this is written in the FIFA statement. I think Marrufo is much more likely to have designations as VAR than on the field, for example.

    2. Agreed, this is going to happen and FIFA confirmed that:
      "In addition to these 13 referees who will act solely as video assistant referees, some of the referees and assistant referees who have been selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ (see list published on 29 March using the link below) will also act as video match officials during FIFA’s flagship competition. These appointments will be confirmed before each match."

    3. Having in mind what problems DFB have with VAR system, I still can't understand how there are 2 Germans and 1 Pole, though. ;)

    4. VAR in MLS is quite the shambles this year, to be honest. Reviews not done, decisions overturned by discipline committee in appeal, etc.

  2. Of course they wont handle directly games, but we must underline that some Category 2 referees will attend WC and this is something one could have never expected, thank to VAR system. Big success for those who belong to that category, if you ask me...
    The other ones (Elite names like Orsato, Makkelie, Zwayer) will have the chance to be on the pitch for the next editions ;)

    1. Orsato is already 43, do you think he Weill be able to officiate in next WC?

    2. Next WC will in december 2022 when Orsato will be 47 years old. No chance for him. In fact, I have serious doubts that Italy will have a referee in Qatar.

  3. I would really like to start with predictions now on the VAR appointments, but it is difficult, because there are so many open questions:
    - Will the VAR position mostly filled by the specialists, because they have the most training and the regular referees will be used as AVAR1 or AVAR3?
    - Or will it be the contrary: VAR position mostly filled by the main referees, because they are mostly higher ranked and the specialists will only be support?
    - Will there be fix VAR quartets, fix VAR/AVAR1 duos, fix referee / VAR duos?
    - How big will the role of the languages be?
    - What will be the conditions to select AVAR2?

    If I would decide, I would do the following:
    -VAR: mostly VAR specialists, ideally speaking the same or a similar language as the referee
    -AVAR1: mostly VAR specialists, ideally speaking the same or a similar languags as the VAR
    -more or less fixed VAR/AVAR1 pairs
    -AVAR3: mostly regular referees
    -AVAR2: An AR from AVAR2s normal team (where available)
    - at least one day break between appointments as (lead) VAR
    - at most three days in a row appointed in any VAR role
    - same language is not mandatory among the 9 team memeber, communication in English always must be possible

    1. So for the first 8 matches something like that (VAR, AVAR1, AVAR2, AVAR3):
      RUS-KSA: Orsato, Valeri, Anderson, Tessema
      EGY-URU: Vigliano, Valeri, Praprotnik, Skomina
      MAR-IRN: Gil, Irrati, Averyanov, Karasev
      POR-ESP: Dankert, Zwayer, Danos, Turpin
      FRA-AUS: Martins, Soares Dias, de Carvalho, Ricci
      ARG-ISL: Makkelie, Sampaio, van Gasse, Tessema
      PER-DEN: Zwayer, Dankert, Brial, Hauata
      CRO-NGA: Vargas, Al Jassim, Hernandez, Ramos

      But FIFA could use a completely different approach...


    2. It´s too son for these appointments.

    3. What does Heung-min Son have to do with VAR appointments? :D

    4. I think Nathan Malifarge is also a big Alberto fan like me :D :D

    5. Gentlemen, it's too daughter for appointments ;)

    6. Probably the son and daughter for these appointments all "don't go to school" or other places of work like me ;)

    7. You said it yourself, my friend, this is a public domain and readers notice things ;)

    8. You're free to notice anything that you want ;) When did I ever attempt to stop you anyway? :D

  4. I see that some referees from those countries where VAR system is already in use are selected to WC. I can understand the reason.

    But it's fair ? Irrati, Dankert, Thiago Martins, Valeri deserves to be there more than Hategan (who was VAR at Confederations Cup), Collum, Eriksson or Kassai ? I have some doubts. Don't tell me that referees from Bolivia or Qatar (countries without VAR system) will be better as VARs than Hategan, Collum, Eriksson or Kassai...

    Collina is italian and we have 4 referees from Italy to WC (Rocchi, Orsato, Valeri, Irrati). This idea with "experienced" VARs was perfect alibi for Collina to bring more referees from Italy in Russia.

    1. The mess Hategan made of the Switzerland v Northern Ireland playoff he simply wasn't going to be involved in Russia in any capacity... Doesn't even come into consideration for selection as VAR IMO... After sending a team home with a decisive wrong penalty award, a referee can't expect to attend a WC so no place for him!! Collum would be a good choice I would agree... Coming to Kassai and Eriksson it's good they aren't selected, better to groom the up and coming refs like Makkelie, Zwayer et all by having them as a part of the huge atmosphere rather than using some refs who are quite finished at the highest level!!

    2. A participation in WC is the maximum achievment for a referee. This should be a reward for a remarkable career as referee. I'm just asking myself if names like Irrati, Dankert, Thiago Martins, Valeri deserves that more than others. With all my respect those names means (almost) nothing in european refereeing at this moment.

      On the other hand, if Collina wanted "experienced" VARs (from countries which implemented this system) why he still choosed referees from Bolivia, Argentina, Brasil or Qatar ?

      PS @soham, please ignore my posts :)

    3. When you choose to post your views in the blog which is a public platform, anybody reading it has the right to produce counter views so if I feel like making my thoughts known, I will keep doing it... Thank you :)

    4. Point to be noted : Participation as a VAR in WC is never the maximum achievement for any referee... It's just the best suited people for the job selected for the role... They are just "support" for the main referees and we need only those people who are most experienced in that particular area!!

    5. Btw, Switzerland was much better team than Northern Ireland in both legs. For example Northern Ireland didn't have a single shot on goal in Belfast (in the game whistled by Hategan). Switzerland fully deserved the qualification in that tie. Indeed, Hategan made a terrible mistake and he paid for that (and will still pay in the future). But if you want to be impartial in your evaluation of referees you should remember that Mateu Lahoz missed 4 penalties and a red card in Italy- Sweden and, despite that, he will be in Russia.

    6. Mateu Lahoz calls were all debatable for me but I don't know how the Committee assessed it... Of course they are all interpretation based and not black and white situation like the Hategan call... Hategan basically called a handball that never happened in reality but Mateu Lahoz calls were like contact not enough for penalty and like that... So assessment by Committee must have been different!!

  5. Śląsk Wrocław - Lechia Gdańsk
    Referee: Paweł Gil (UEFA First Group)
    VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski

    Penalty incident, decision: play on

    Handling, decision: penalty

    VAR detects that prior to an alleged infringement, the ball has crossed the line. Penalty annulled, goal-kick

    1. The VAR situation. Had the ball not crossed the line I still hope they would tell the referee the penalty is wrong. That was a laughable dive by the attacker.

  6. Hey guys,
    What do you think?
    Clear DGSO or does the two defenders make it only a booking?

    1. Very difficult. Personally, I would opt for a yellow card.

    2. Common sense describes a RC, although YC would be acceptable IMO.

    3. When the offence happens, the two defenders are (at BEST) even with the ball, and both off to the side.

      Remove the offence (ie, pretend the GK isn't there), and this is almost certainly a goal (never mind OGSO).

      Red card is the best option here.

  7. Regarding José Argote

    Reading between the lines, I think he did not use the fixed currency rate of 10 Bolívar = 1 USD. Rather 80 000ish = 1 is a fair rate, so I'm guessing Argote is the victim of the autocratic government, and de facto has done little wrong.
    In case this is the end of his career he can reflect on a good one, especially at Copa America 2015.

    1. If he hasn't done much wrong, it would be unfortunate to see his career end :(

  8. Hello Everyone,
    In Belgium there was a lot of commotion in the game between AA Gent angainst Standard de Liége. VAR Yves Marchand (a former Belgium referee) had 3 situations to decide.

    (0:40) --- In my opinion a penalty, the defenders pulls the attacker down ---- VAR did'nt intervent.

    (3:46) --- In my opinion a regular goal, there is not one camera angle were you clearly can see the push --- VAR intervent and referee went to look at the screen, and disallowed the goal. --- Isn't this the grey zone were the VAR can't intervent?

    (4:25) --- In my opinion a 100% correct penalty call --- referee didn't see the handball at first time and VAR intervented --- penalty was called after the review on the screen.

    So 1/3 calls were correct. Yves Marchand and the rest of his VAR team are now suspended for the rest of the competition.

    Referee in this match was FIFA referee Jonathan Lardot.

    What is your opinion on the situations?

    Thanks in advance for the answers

    1. The problem is the first scene, it seems there is a mutual holding at first glance, but replays suggests the white player hasn't crossed the line and his opponent was guilty of a foul. Penalty should have been awarded, imo.

      If there is a push (you can judge it by red player's unnatural move), it should have been whistled, so acceptable call, if you ask me.

      Agree, 100% penalty. Although there is a short distance, the defender's hand is in an unnatural position and blocks the shot. Penalty and YC to be given

      The suspension seems really harsh to me.

  9. Does anybody know if there will be possible to see VAR screens on TV during VAR’s desicions?

  10. IMHO necessaryly women referee and England referee become VAR