The Influence of the VAR Technological Innovation System on the Course of Events in Futsal Matches

The Influence of the VAR Technological Innovation System on the Course of Events in Futsal Matches | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Influence of the VAR Technological Innovation System on the Course of Events in Futsal Matches Taras Panchuk, Volodymyr Ilyin, Ludmyla Kryshtopa, Myroslav Panchuk, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This article explores the impact of the video assistant referee (VAR) system on futsal matches, particularly focusing on its role in assisting referees in decision-making. As the global development of information technologies influences various sectors, including sports, the integration of these technologies into futsal has become essential. The study examines how the VAR system, already employed in football, can potentially improve refereeing accuracy and reduce errors in futsal, where quick decisions are crucial due to the fast-paced nature of the game. The research includes data from two major events: the Ukrainian futsal cup and the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan. The experiments analysed the problems of decision-making by referees in key match situations, including goals, penalties, red cards and player identification. The study found that the VAR system significantly impacted decision-making in both tournaments. It was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian Cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors. The average time spent on reviewing controversial episodes is close to the duration of a one-minute break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed examination of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match. The article concludes that the use of VAR in futsal improves the accuracy of refereeing decisions, though its application requires careful consideration to minimize its potential negative consequences and enhance its positive impact on the game. 1 Introduction Professional sports, in modern conditions, are a powerful social phenomenon, and their rapid development in the 21-st century indicates that they perform important social functions in society. An important issue is the implementation of information technologies in sports and physical culture. According to scientists [1], modern computer technologies provide the opportunity to organize the training process of athletes and hold competitions at a higher quality level, as well as combine the functions of accumulating, storing, analyzing, and systematizing information. Among the sports, futsal has seen significant progress in recent years. Futsal is a team sport played indoors by men and women, boys and girls, both in professional and amateur leagues [2]. Today, futsal is a highly competitive sport worldwide, and it continues to be a starting point for professional players from outdoor football. Futsal is a very popular form of football worldwide at amateur, semi-professional, and professional levels [2]. Examples of major football nations where futsal is especially popular include Brazil, Argentyna, Spain, Italy and others. Famous football players, both past and present – such as Ronaldinho, Pelé, Messi, Neymar, Xavi, and Ronaldo – consider playing futsal one of the key prerequisites for their success. The unique feature of futsal is that the competitions take place on a smaller playing field compared to traditional football with fewer players. This characteristic leads to a high dependency on coordinated teamwork, alongside the high individual skills of each player. During high-level futsal competitions, one can witness exceptional choreography on the court, where all five players work in sync, like one unit. Futsal is known for its high speed of play, which forces players to constantly participate in defense, attack, and counterattack. All of this occurs in a small playing area, which emphasizes the importance of professional skills and quick decision-making. In futsal, players typically hold the ball longer than in outdoor football, requiring both physical and mental activity throughout the game. Physical preparation is only one aspect of futsal player development. On the other hand, mental abilities and teamwork are paramount. Futsal courts often display some of the most effective dribbling techniques, which challenge the physical conditioning of players. Since futsal courts are much smaller, mistakes made by futsal players have far greater consequences than those on larger football fields, which often serve as the best teachers for young players' technical and tactical preparation. It is no surprise that for many football fans worldwide, futsal is not just a game but a way of life. For instance, in Brazil, a country with the most football and futsal titles, one can find a futsal court in every neighborhood, every public park, and every elementary school. This sport impacts people from all walks of life as it is deeply embedded in urban infrastructure, and these important spaces serve as a foundation for social interaction. An integral part of this spectacle is refereeing. Referees play a crucial role in futsal, as their actions can either enhance the events on the court or significantly diminish their effect, depending on their qualifications or potential bias toward one of the teams. Due to the extremely high speeds typical of futsal, the number of refereeing mistakes increases [1]. Therefore, the introduction of information technologies to assist referees in decision-making is highly relevant today. One such technology is the video assistant referee (VAR) system [4]. VAR is an official in sports matches who reviews decisions made by the on-field referee using video replays [5]. The VAR system is currently primarily used in outdoor football. The intervention of the system is limited to cases of "clear and obvious errors" or "serious mistakes by referees" related to goal scoring, penalty decisions, red card penalties, and mistaken player identification. Since its introduction in football a few years ago, the video assistant referee, or VAR, has been the center of heated discussions among sports fans worldwide. A study [6] conducted in the UK on fan attitudes toward using VAR in the English Premier League showed that, despite its potential advantages, VAR also carries the risk of rejection by fans. The study found that most surveyed fans were supportive of VAR in the Premier League but suggested that changes be made in how VAR is used by referees on the field and for evaluating specific situations. Another study [7] examined the impact of VAR on match efficiency in FIFA World Cup tournaments. It was reported that after the introduction of VAR, the number of penalties significantly increased (p < 0.05), along with game time in both halves and overall match duration. On the other hand, there was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the number of offsides. Therefore, the authors concluded that there is a need to improve the use of VAR at the World Cup based on the research results. A study [8] also explored the effectiveness of the VAR system in football, based on interviews with leading sports experts. Data analysis is based on the continuous comparison method in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. According to the experts, given the contextual conditions and intermediary factors, the VAR introduction technology should improve the quality of football competitions. The study concluded that VAR has the potential to enhance the quality of football matches. However, there is also a need to address its negative consequences and ensure its stable development. Since VAR was implemented in football, it began to make its way into futsal. Although there are many scientific works dedicated to the use of the video assistant referee system in football, this topic has been studied much less in futsal [3]. This work aims to determine the level of impact that the VAR system has on futsal matches. 2 Methods To analyze the impact of the VAR system on futsal matches, two series of experiments were conducted. The first series of experiments took place during the tournament, the final stage of the Ukrainian futsal cup. According to the tournament regulations, the VAR system was used in four cases: a goal - whether it was a goal or not; a foul deserving of a red card - whether it was a foul or not; a penalty - whether it was a penalty or not; and the correct identification of a player who received a yellow card. The coach of each team could request support once per half. The second series of experiments was the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan. The VAR system was applied, as in the first series, in four cases: a goal - whether it was a goal or not; a foul deserving of a red card - whether it was a foul or not; a penalty - whether it was a penalty or not; and the correct identification of a player who received a yellow card. In this case, each coach could challenge at least once per half. If the VAR system confirmed the coach’s request, that coach was granted one more attempt. All instances of coach requests for VAR support were recorded. After that, a comprehensive analysis was conducted. The indicators determined were: the duration of the VAR review for each case, the number of accepted and rejected coach requests, and the correctness of the referees' decisions - the ratio of correct decisions (those that matched the VAR decision) to the total number of decisions. The research was conducted during the live broadcast of matches on sports TV channels and the Internet. The use of the VAR system implies that the team can achieve a fair decision from their point of view. The coach's appeal means that the panel of judges will examine the disputed point more closely. In this case, the review process causes maximum tension for all participants in the sporting event. 3 Results 3.1 The final stage of the Ukrainian Cup The final stage of the Ukrainian Cup, where the first series of experiments took place, included three matches - two semi-finals and one final. The tournament featured teams from the Ukrainian Extra League: “HIT” Kyiv, the reigning champion of Ukraine at the time of the tournament, and a participant in the UEFA Champions League elite round; “Urahan” Ivano-Frankivsk, the vice-champion of Ukraine at the time of the tournament and a two-time participant in the UEFA Champions League elite round; “Cardinal” Rivne, the current holder of the Ukrainian Cup; and “Aurora” Kyiv, a participant in the Ukrainian Futsal Extra League. The Ukrainian national team is currently ranked 5th in the UEFA rankings and 9th in the FIFA rankings, which are quite high standings. Therefore, the tournament can be considered quite prestigious. The tournament matches were officiated by six referees. In the semi-finals, each match had three referees, while the final match had four referees. Highly qualified referees were chosen for the matches (Table 1). The qualification breakdown was as follows: four FIFA referees and two referees from the Ukrainian Extra League, which is a high standard. Table 1 Qualification of arbitrators Indicators Semifinal Final Number of matches 2 1 Number of arbitrators 6 4 Referee FIFA 4 2 Referee of the Extra League of Ukraine 2 2 For this tournament, coaches were allowed to make one challenge per half. All recorded cases of coaches' access to the VAR system and the time of incident analysis are shown in Table 2. Table 2: Data from the research of the Ukrainian Cup. No Reason Analysis time, sec Result 1 Penalty award 135 Rejected 2 Scored a goal 565 Appointed 3 Assigning a red card 62 Rejected 4 Assigning a red card 125 Rejected 5 Penalty award 110 Rejected 6 Scored a goal 55 Rejected The analysis of each of the incidents presented in Table 2, in the appropriate sequence from the first to the sixth, is described below in paragraph 4.1. 3.2 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan The second series of experiments were conducted at the Futsal World Cup held in Uzbekistan. The object of the research was the Ukrainian national team, which ultimately became the bronze medalist of the tournament and played all of its scheduled matches. The research covered three group-stage matches, then the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and the Third-Place match. In total, the maximum number of matches played in the tournament 11 was researched. The teams that finished first and second also played eleven matches each. For this series of experiments, each coach was allowed to request VAR assistance at least once per half. If the coach’s appeal was confirmed as correct by the VAR system, they were granted one more attempt. Compared to the previous studies, coaches had more opportunities to use the VAR system. All referees officiating the matches were highly qualified, with extensive experience in international matches and the relevant certifications that allowed them to officiate at the Futsal World Cup. All recorded cases of coaches' access to the VAR system and the time of analysis of each incident are shown in Table 3 Table 3: Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan Group Stage No Reason Analysis time, sec Result 1 Penalty award 40 Appointed 2 Penalty award 60 Appointed 3 Penalty award 64 Rejected 4 Assigning a red card 45 Rejected 5 Scored a goal 45 Rejected 6 Scored a goal 60 Satisfied 7 Penalty award 45 Rejected 8 Penalty award 70 Rejected 9 Assigning a red card 35 Rejected 10 Penalty award 60 Rejected 11 Scored a goal 45 Rejected The analysis of each incident presented in Table 3, in accordance with the numbering of the sequence from the first to the eleventh, is described below in paragraph 4.2. 4 Discussion 4.1 First case study Let’s conduct a brief analysis of the matches that took place. The first match was “Aurora” vs. “Cardinal.” In the second half, with the score 2-1 in favor of “Aurora,” there was an episode in the penalty area of the “Aurora” team where the ball seemed to hit the hand of an “Aurora” player. The referees did not react to this episode. The coach of “Cardinal” took a challenge. The analysis of the episode using the VAR system confirmed the referees' decision. After the decision was made that there was no hand play, the referee mistakenly gave the ball to the goalkeeper of "Cardinal" instead of awarding a corner kick to the “Aurora” team. A few attacks later, the players from Rivne scored a goal and equalized the score. However, after reviewing the episode with the VAR system, the referees annulled the goal because the ball should have been played by the players of the “Aurora” club. Following this episode - the annulment of the goal - the president of “Cardinal” couldn’t hold back his emotions and decided to take his team off the field. During the break, there was a continued discussion regarding the referee’s decision. The sides tried to resolve the issue and reached an agreement. The final decision by the referees was to award the goal. After this, the leadership of “Cardinal” returned their team to the playing field, and the game continued with a 2-2 score. The result of the match was positive for the “Aurora” team, who celebrated their victory with a score of 4-2. The comments from both sides regarding the described episode were radically different, but the fact that the VAR system became a participant in the events of the match cannot be denied. In other words, the use of the VAR system had a profound impact on the course of events on the futsal court. In the next semi-final match between “Urahan” and “HIT”, the VAR system was used once. In the second half, in one of the episodes, according to the coaches of the Hurricane, the goalkeeper of the "Heat" team played with his hand outside the penalty area, which could be punished with a red card. The referees had a different opinion, so they did not call a foul. After analyzing the episode using the VAR system, the correctness of the referees' decision was confirmed. In the final match of the Ukrainian Cup, “Urahan” and “Aurora” participated. In one of the episodes, the goalkeeper of “Uragan” played quite aggressively while coming out. The referees did not react to this episode. However, the coaches of the “Aurora” team had a different opinion and requested VAR assistance. The review using the VAR system confirmed the correctness of the referees' decision. The next two episodes of VAR usage occurred in the first extra time. In the first case, the “Urahan” coaches believed that a foul was committed in the penalty area against one of their players, and therefore, a penalty should have been awarded. After reviewing the episode using the VAR system, the coaches’ opinion was disproven. After one of the moments, in which the “Aurora” coaches believed that a player from “Urahan” had committed a handball, a foul was called in favor of their player. This was the sixth foul. According to futsal rules, after a team commits a sixth foul, a double penalty is awarded. The double penalty was successfully converted by the players of “Uragan.” Since the VAR system does not allow challenging the previous foul, the coaches of “Aurora” contested the legitimacy of the goal scored from the double penalty. The analysis conducted rejected their claims. The summary of the referees’ actions is provided in Table 4. Table 4 Final results of arbitrators' actions of the first study Number of appeals Average detection time, sec Number of satisfied Number of rejected Correctness of arbitrators' actions, % 6 97 1 5 83.3 Thus, for the entire tournament, which consisted of three matches, the coaches of the teams made a number of requests for VAR video support. In the six episodes analyzed, there was one error by the arbitrators. The average time of situation analysis by the VAR system is 97 seconds. The correctness of the arbitrators' decisions was 83.3%. 4.2 The second case study Let’s begin by analyzing the results from the group stage, where four teams competed. This stage involved three matches. The First Match: Argentyna vs Ukraine the VAR system was not used. The Second Match: Ukraine vs Angola the VAR system was used once. The referee awarded a penalty kick. This decision was contested by the coach of Angola. However, after reviewing the episode using the VAR system, the referee’s decision was confirmed. The Third Match of the Group Stage. In this match, the VAR system was used three times. The unique aspect of this match was that one of the teams could advance to the next round (the knockout stage) with a win, making the match highly tense. The first time the VAR system was used was when a penalty was awarded. After a play close to the penalty area, the match referee pointed to a free kick. At the same time, the coach of the Ukrainian national team asked for a challenge to study the episode in detail. As a result of using the VAR system to analyze the episode, the referees decided to award a penalty. What is special about this element is that the coach of the Ukrainian national team won twice. The first win was that his team was given the opportunity to take a penalty and successfully took advantage of it, scoring a goal. The second was that, according to the rules for using video support, the coach was allowed to make one more appeal. TheSecond VAR usage: This also involved the awarding of a penalty. There was a sharp moment in Afghanistan’s penalty area that the referees did not notice. The coach of Ukraine protested, and after the review using VAR, the decision was made not to award the penalty. TheThird VAR usage: This concerned a rough challenge on the Afghanistan goalkeeper in his penalty area. The referees judged the play to be within the rules. However, the coach of Afghanistan requested VAR to review the incident and potentially award a red card to the opposing team. After reviewing the situation using VAR, the referees confirmed their original decision, meaning no red card was issued. The match is in the 1/8 of final Ukraine vs Netherlands. The VAR system was not used. The quarterfinal match: Ukraine. vs Venezuela.In the 5th minute, the Ukrainian team scored a goal. The referees confirmed the goal. However, the coach of the Venezuelan team appealed for VAR assistance, claiming that the ball had crossed the sideline near the goal before the goal was scored. After reviewing the situation using VAR, the coach’s request was dismissed, and the referee’s decision was upheld. The semifinal match: Ukraine vs Brazil. In one moment during the first half, while Brazil was attacking, the Ukrainian goalkeeper saved the ball and then controlled it with his hand, pressing it to the floor. A Brazilian player kicked the ball from under the goalkeeper's hand and sent it into the net. The referee awarded the goal. The coach of Ukraine appealed for VAR, and after reviewing the situation with VAR, the goal scored by Brazil was disallowed. It is also worth noting the effective use of VAR by the Ukrainian coach in this case. First, the goal against his team was disallowed, and second, the coach’s qualified appeal to VAR granted him another opportunity to use it. The next episode: during Ukraine’s attack, the ball hit a Brazilian player and went out of bounds. The referee allowed the Brazilian goalkeeper to restart the game. The Ukrainian coach appealed for VAR, claiming that there had been a handball by the Brazilian player. After reviewing the situation with VAR, the referees upheld their original decision, and the Ukrainian coach’s appeal was rejected. The second half: after a corner kick in the penalty area, the ball struck the shoulder of a Ukrainian player and bounced to the goalkeeper, who then played the ball back into play. Following the Ukrainian attack, the coach of Brazil appealed for VAR to review a possible penalty. The appeal was rejected, and the referees' decision was upheld. Thethird-place match: Ukraine vs France. In one of the episodes, while the ball was near the center line, a French player harshly tackled a Ukrainian player. The referee awarded a free kick to Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian coach requested VAR to review the decision for a possible red card for the French player. The request was rejected. Thefinal moments of the first half: during France’s attack, with 20 seconds left in the first half, a Ukrainian player tackled a French player just outside the penalty area, causing the French player to fall. The referee did not react to the incident. The ball then went to the goalkeeper, who played the ball back into play. A few seconds later, when the ball went out of bounds, the French coach requested VAR to review for a possible penalty. After analyzing the situation with VAR, the appeal was rejected. During Ukraine’s attack: French players fouled a Ukrainian player, but the referee did not react. The counterattack of the French national team ended with a goal. After that, the coach of the national team of Ukraine asked for video support to cancel the goal and award a penalty kick to the French national team. The appeal was rejected. The summary of the referees’ actions is provided in Table 5. Table 5 Final results of arbitrators' actions of the second study Number of appeals Average detection time, sec Number of satisfied Number of rejected Correctness of arbitrators' actions ,% 11 52 3 8 72.5 Thus, during the tournament, which consisted of eleven matches for the Ukrainian national team, the team's coaches made eleven requests for VAR support. Three appeals were upheld and eight were rejected. Thus, the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%. The average time for the VAR system to analyze a situation was 52 seconds. 4.3 Analyzing the data of both tournaments Analyzing the data of both tournaments, it was established that the violations questioned by the coaches of the teams were as follows: awarding a penalty 47%, taking a goal 29.5%, awarding a red card 23.5%. Regarding the identification of the player who received a yellow card, there are no appeals. The results of the studies are given in Table 6. Table 6 Distribution of violations No Reason Number of appeals Indicators, % 1 Penalty award 8 47 2 Assigning a red card 4 23.5 3 Scored a goal 5 29.5 4 Player identification 0 0 The results shown in Table 6 show that most of the referees' appeals are related to penalties. This is understandable - coaches want to improve the result for their team with this step. This is followed by appeals regarding the scoring or disallowance of a goal. The third result is the appointment or non-appointment of a chevron card. For futsal, this is a critical point, as receiving a red card leaves the team in the minority, which creates a high risk of conceding a goal. The correctness of the referees' actions is shown in Table 7. The first row of the table shows the data of the first tournament; the second row shows the data of the second one. And the final result of both tournaments is given in the third line. Table 7 Final results of arbitrators' actions Number of appeals Average detection time, sec Number of satisfied Number of rejected Correctness of arbitrators' actions 6 97 1 5 83.3 11 52 3 8 72.5 17 66 4 13 76.4 It was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors. The average time for the VAR system to examine disputed episodes was 66 seconds. This time is very close to the duration of a 60-second break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed study of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match. Comparing the number of refereeing errors made at the Ukrainian cup and the World Cup, we can conclude that the number of referee errors is higher at the World Cup. In our opinion, this can be explained by the higher level of the tournament, higher speeds on the court, more events, and power struggles. The high price of the result encourages teams to play on the edge of the foul, so in this case, referees make mistakes more often. Analyzing the research data, we can conclude that the use of the VAR video referee system has a significant impact on the course of a football match. Thus, the successful use of the VAR video referee system by the coach of the Ukrainian national team in a match with the Afghan national team allowed him to correct the referee's mistake, award a penalty kick to the opponent's goal, and ultimately obtain a positive result for his team. Similarly, in a match with the Brazilian national team, the coach of the Ukrainian national team managed to overturn the referees' erroneous decision to award a goal to his team by using the VAR system. Based on the arguments presented, we can conclude that the successful use of the VAR system by the coach of the Ukrainian national team was a significant factor in the team's success. At the tournament, the Ukrainian national team won bronze medals at the World Cup for the first time in its history. Conclusions The study shows the growing influence of the video assistant referee (VAR) technological innovation system in modern futsal. The use of VAR, a technology borrowed from football, is becoming increasingly relevant in futsal, where small playing fields and a fast pace of play lead to more frequent refereeing errors. From the analysis of two distinct futsal tournaments, the Ukrainian futsal cup and the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan, it is evident that the VAR system is a valuable tool for verifying critical decisions such as goals, penalties, and red card fouls. It was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors. The average time spent on reviewing controversial episodes is close to the duration of a one-minute break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed examination of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match. The paper also demonstrates that while the VAR system enhances the accuracy of refereeing decisions, its usage and impact vary depending on tournament regulations and the frequency of challenges allowed by coaches. The study also emphasizes that while VAR can improve officiating, its implementation requires careful management to avoid disrupting the flow of the game. Overall, the integration of VAR in futsal holds promise for improving match integrity and referee performance, although further refinements and consistency in its application are necessary to maximize its benefits in this fast-evolving sport. References Panchuk T, Chaikovsky I, Panchuk M. 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Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology .0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371241254596 Hamsund T, Scelles N. (2021) Fans’ Perceptions towards Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the English Premier League. J. Risk Financial Manag. 14 , 573. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14120573 Kubayi A, Larkin P, Toriola,A.L. (2021) The impact of video assistant referee (VAR) on match performance variables at men’s FIFA World Cup tournaments. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, 236 , 187 – 191 Pashaie S, Dickson G, Abdavi F, Azarin Y B, Golmohammadi H, Zheng J. Habibpour R. (2023) Football and the video assistant referee: A grounded theory approach. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology .;0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371231213739 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6633909","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":464704576,"identity":"8723baee-e038-478e-8f77-448b3543673a","order_by":0,"name":"Taras Panchuk","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King Danylo University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Taras","middleName":"","lastName":"Panchuk","suffix":""},{"id":464704577,"identity":"4d67c9e2-cd50-4853-aadf-4862ba5fc2da","order_by":1,"name":"Volodymyr Ilyin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Volodymyr","middleName":"","lastName":"Ilyin","suffix":""},{"id":464704578,"identity":"9985f36a-1326-43cf-b653-b63d3632eb2a","order_by":2,"name":"Ludmyla Kryshtopa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas Ivano-Frankivsk","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ludmyla","middleName":"","lastName":"Kryshtopa","suffix":""},{"id":464704579,"identity":"7b4e3612-76e6-4af8-9a7e-988bedea966b","order_by":3,"name":"Myroslav Panchuk","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCCAijN2MBgwM/ARowWAyQtkg0QLRLEazE4QECL7ozchw9/GNglNkg3P3vwc8dhY+MbaWkfGHfY1OHSYnYj3diYxyA5sUHmmLlh75nDZmY30g7PYDyThtMWoAI2aQYDZmMGiQQzaca2wzZAQ5oZgAy8WiR/GNQDtaR/A2sxngHW8h+vFgkeg8NyDBI5YFvMDCTSDgO1HMCt5cwzZqBfjssxyJwpk+xtSzeWOPMsmSGxLVmyAZeW42mMD39UVPMwSLdvk/jZZm3Y355mzPCxzY4fly0MAgkQ2v4GsmgCTvVAwH8AyiAQ26NgFIyCUTCCAQBLJk/ot6pCGQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas Ivano-Frankivsk","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Myroslav","middleName":"","lastName":"Panchuk","suffix":""},{"id":464704580,"identity":"8e39df66-2dc3-4bcc-8a70-4945c8c12098","order_by":4,"name":"Illya Chaikovsky","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics NAS Kyiv","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Illya","middleName":"","lastName":"Chaikovsky","suffix":""},{"id":464704581,"identity":"09744e1d-cf88-47e1-8c67-e03db3436e07","order_by":5,"name":"Vasyl Sheketa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas Ivano-Frankivsk","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vasyl","middleName":"","lastName":"Sheketa","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-10 09:38:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83809418,"identity":"b5cdf532-a965-47b4-bfc6-42e09be6c1ee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 06:25:31","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":432743,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6633909/v1/419bc7ad-1c8c-4068-a5de-d942c542a7af.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The Influence of the VAR Technological Innovation System on the Course of Events in Futsal Matches","fulltext":[{"header":"1 Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eProfessional sports, in modern conditions, are a powerful social phenomenon, and their rapid development in the 21-st century indicates that they perform important social functions in society.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn important issue is the implementation of information technologies in sports and physical culture. According to scientists [1], modern computer technologies provide the opportunity to organize the training process of athletes and hold competitions at a higher quality level, as well as combine the functions of accumulating, storing, analyzing, and systematizing information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the sports, futsal has seen significant progress in recent years. Futsal is a team sport played indoors by men and women, boys and girls, both in professional and amateur leagues [2].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, futsal is a highly competitive sport worldwide, and it continues to be a starting point for professional players from outdoor football. Futsal is a very popular form of football worldwide at amateur, semi-professional, and professional levels [2]. Examples of major football nations where futsal is especially popular include Brazil,\u0026nbsp;Argentyna,\u0026nbsp;Spain,\u0026nbsp;Italy\u0026nbsp;and others. Famous football players, both past and present – such as Ronaldinho, Pelé, Messi, Neymar, Xavi, and Ronaldo – consider playing futsal one of the key prerequisites for their success.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unique feature of futsal is that the competitions take place on a smaller playing field compared to traditional football with fewer players. This characteristic leads to a high dependency on coordinated teamwork, alongside the high individual skills of each player. During high-level futsal competitions, one can witness exceptional choreography on the court, where all five players work in sync, like one unit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFutsal is known for its high speed of play, which forces players to constantly participate in defense, attack, and counterattack. All of this occurs in a small playing area, which emphasizes the importance of professional skills and quick decision-making. In futsal, players typically hold the ball longer than in outdoor football, requiring both physical and mental activity throughout the game.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhysical preparation is only one aspect of futsal player development. On the other hand, mental abilities and teamwork are paramount. Futsal courts often display some of the most effective dribbling techniques, which challenge the physical conditioning of players. Since futsal courts are much smaller, mistakes made by futsal players have far greater consequences than those on larger football fields, which often serve as the best teachers for young players' technical and tactical preparation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is no surprise that for many football fans worldwide, futsal is not just a game but a way of life. For instance, in Brazil, a country with the most football and futsal titles, one can find a futsal court in every neighborhood, every public park, and every elementary school. This sport impacts people from all walks of life as it is deeply embedded in urban infrastructure, and these important spaces serve as a foundation for social interaction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn integral part of this spectacle is refereeing. Referees play a crucial role in futsal, as their actions can either enhance the events on the court or significantly diminish their effect, depending on their qualifications or potential bias toward one of the teams. Due to the extremely high speeds typical of futsal, the number of refereeing mistakes increases [1]. Therefore, the introduction of information technologies to assist referees in decision-making is highly relevant today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne such technology is the video assistant referee (VAR) system [4]. VAR is an official in sports matches who reviews decisions made by the on-field referee using video replays [5]. The VAR system is currently primarily used in outdoor football. The intervention of the system is limited to cases of \"clear and obvious errors\" or \"serious mistakes by referees\" related to goal scoring, penalty decisions, red card penalties, and mistaken player identification.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince its introduction in football a few years ago, the video assistant referee, or VAR, has been the center of heated discussions among sports fans worldwide. A study [6] conducted in the UK on fan attitudes toward using VAR in the English Premier League showed that, despite its potential advantages, VAR also carries the risk of rejection by fans. The study found that most surveyed fans were supportive of VAR in the Premier League but suggested that changes be made in how VAR is used by referees on the field and for evaluating specific situations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother study [7] examined the impact of VAR on match efficiency in FIFA World Cup tournaments. It was reported that after the introduction of VAR, the number of penalties significantly increased (p \u0026lt; 0.05), along with game time in both halves and overall match duration. On the other hand, there was a significant reduction (p \u0026lt; 0.05) in the number of offsides. Therefore, the authors concluded that there is a need to improve the use of VAR at the World Cup based on the research results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA study [8] also explored the effectiveness of the VAR system in football, based on interviews with leading sports experts. Data analysis is based on the continuous comparison method in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. According to the experts, given the contextual conditions and intermediary factors, the VAR introduction technology should improve the quality of football competitions. The study concluded that VAR has the potential to enhance the quality of football matches. However, there is also a need to address its negative consequences and ensure its stable development.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince VAR was implemented in football, it began to make its way into futsal. Although there are many scientific works dedicated to the use of the video assistant referee system in football, this topic has been studied much less in futsal [3]. This work aims to determine the level of impact that the VAR system has on futsal matches.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eTo analyze the impact of the VAR system on futsal matches, two series of experiments were conducted. The first series of experiments took place during the tournament, the final stage of the Ukrainian futsal cup. According to the tournament regulations, the VAR system was used in four cases: a goal - whether it was a goal or not; a foul deserving of a red card - whether it was a foul or not; a penalty - whether it was a penalty or not; and the correct identification of a player who received a yellow card. The coach of each team could request support once per half.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second series of experiments was the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan. The VAR system was applied, as in the first series, in four cases: a goal - whether it was a goal or not; a foul deserving of a red card - whether it was a foul or not; a penalty - whether it was a penalty or not; and the correct identification of a player who received a yellow card. In this case, each coach could challenge at least once per half. If the VAR system confirmed the coach’s request, that coach was granted one more attempt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll instances of coach requests for VAR support were recorded. After that, a comprehensive analysis was conducted. The indicators determined were: the duration of the VAR review for each case, the number of accepted and rejected coach requests, and the correctness of the referees' decisions - the ratio of correct decisions (those that matched the VAR decision) to the total number of decisions. The research was conducted during the live broadcast of matches on sports TV channels and the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe use of the VAR system implies that the team can achieve a fair decision from their point of view. The coach's appeal means that the panel of judges will examine the disputed point more closely. In this case, the review process causes maximum tension for all participants in the sporting event.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3 Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe final stage of the Ukrainian Cup\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final stage of the Ukrainian Cup, where the first series of experiments took place, included three matches\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;two semi-finals and one final. The tournament featured teams from the Ukrainian Extra League: \u0026ldquo;HIT\u0026rdquo; Kyiv, the reigning champion of Ukraine at the time of the tournament, and a participant in the UEFA Champions League elite round; \u0026ldquo;Urahan\u0026rdquo; Ivano-Frankivsk, the vice-champion of Ukraine at the time of the tournament and a two-time participant in the UEFA Champions League elite round; \u0026ldquo;Cardinal\u0026rdquo; Rivne, the current holder of the Ukrainian Cup; and \u0026ldquo;Aurora\u0026rdquo; Kyiv, a participant in the Ukrainian Futsal Extra League.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ukrainian national team is currently ranked 5th in the UEFA rankings and 9th in the FIFA rankings, which are quite high standings. Therefore, the tournament can be considered quite prestigious.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tournament matches were officiated by six referees. In the semi-finals, each match had three referees, while the final match had four referees. Highly qualified referees were chosen for the matches (Table 1). The qualification breakdown was as follows: four FIFA referees and two referees from the Ukrainian Extra League, which is a high standard.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 1 Qualification of arbitrators\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"436\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 237px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndicators\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSemifinal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFinal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 237px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of matches\u003c/p\u003e\u0026nbsp;\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 237px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of arbitrators\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 237px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReferee FIFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 237px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReferee of the Extra League of Ukraine\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this tournament, coaches were allowed to make one challenge per half. All recorded cases of coaches\u0026apos; access to the VAR system and the time of incident analysis are shown in Table 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2: Data from the research of the Ukrainian Cup.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"494\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReason\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnalysis time, sec\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResult\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e565\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Appointed\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssigning a red card\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssigning a red card\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e110\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 58px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 123px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analysis of each of the incidents presented in Table 2, in the appropriate sequence from the first to the sixth, is described below in paragraph 4.1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3.2\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second series of experiments were conducted at the Futsal World Cup held in Uzbekistan. The object of the research was the Ukrainian national team, which ultimately became the bronze medalist of the tournament and played all of its scheduled matches.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research covered three group-stage matches, then the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and the Third-Place match. In total, the maximum number of matches played in the tournament\u0026nbsp;11\u0026nbsp;was researched. The teams that finished first and second also played eleven matches each.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this series of experiments, each coach was allowed to request VAR assistance at least once per half. If the coach\u0026rsquo;s appeal was confirmed as correct by the VAR system, they were granted one more attempt. Compared to the previous studies, coaches had more opportunities to use the VAR system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll referees officiating the matches were highly qualified, with extensive experience in international matches and the relevant certifications that allowed them to officiate at the Futsal World Cup.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll recorded cases of coaches\u0026apos; access to the VAR system and the time of analysis of each incident are shown in Table 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3: Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan \u0026nbsp;Group Stage\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"413\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReason\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnalysis time, sec\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResult\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAppointed\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAppointed\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssigning a red card\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSatisfied\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssigning a red card\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 75px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 106px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analysis of each incident presented in Table 3, in accordance with the numbering of the sequence from the first to the eleventh, is described below in paragraph 4.2.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4 Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.1\u0026nbsp;First case study\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet’s conduct a brief analysis of the matches that took place. The first match was “Aurora” vs. “Cardinal.” In the second half, with the score 2-1 in favor of “Aurora,” there was an episode in the penalty area of the “Aurora” team where the ball seemed to hit the hand of an “Aurora” player. The referees did not react to this episode. The coach of “Cardinal” took a challenge. The analysis of the episode using the VAR system confirmed the referees' decision.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the decision was made that there was no hand play, the referee mistakenly gave the ball to the goalkeeper of \"Cardinal\" instead of awarding a corner kick to the “Aurora” team. A few attacks later, the players from Rivne scored a goal and equalized the score. However, after reviewing the episode with the VAR system, the referees annulled the goal because the ball should have been played by the players of the “Aurora” club.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing this episode - the annulment of the goal - the president of “Cardinal” couldn’t hold back his emotions and decided to take his team off the field. During the break, there was a continued discussion regarding the referee’s decision. The sides tried to resolve the issue and reached an agreement.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final decision by the referees was to award the goal. After this, the leadership of “Cardinal” returned their team to the playing field, and the game continued with a 2-2 score. The result of the match was positive for the “Aurora” team, who celebrated their victory with a score of 4-2. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe comments from both sides regarding the described episode were radically different, but the fact that the VAR system became a participant in the events of the match cannot be denied. In other words, the use of the VAR system had a profound impact on the course of events on the futsal court.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the next semi-final match between “Urahan” and “HIT”, the VAR system was used once. In the second half, in one of the episodes, according to the coaches of the Hurricane, the goalkeeper of the \"Heat\" team played with his hand outside the penalty area, which could be punished with a red card. The referees had a different opinion, so they did not call a foul. After analyzing the episode using the VAR system, the correctness of the referees' decision was confirmed.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final match of the Ukrainian Cup, “Urahan” and “Aurora” participated. In one of the episodes, the goalkeeper of “Uragan” played quite aggressively while coming out. The referees did not react to this episode. However, the coaches of the “Aurora” team had a different opinion and requested VAR assistance. The review using the VAR system confirmed the correctness of the referees' decision.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe next two episodes of VAR usage occurred in the first extra time. In the first case, the “Urahan” coaches believed that a foul was committed in the penalty area against one of their players, and therefore, a penalty should have been awarded. After reviewing the episode using the VAR system, the coaches’ opinion was disproven.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter one of the moments, in which the “Aurora” coaches believed that a player from “Urahan” had committed a handball, a foul was called in favor of their player. This was the sixth foul. According to futsal rules, after a team commits a sixth foul, a double penalty is awarded. The double penalty was successfully converted by the players of “Uragan.” Since the VAR system does not allow challenging the previous foul, the coaches of “Aurora” contested the legitimacy of the goal scored from the double penalty. The analysis conducted rejected their claims. The summary of the referees’ actions is provided in Table 4.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;4 Final results of arbitrators' actions of the first study\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"576\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of appeals\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage detection time, sec\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of satisfied\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of rejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCorrectness of arbitrators' actions, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u0026nbsp;\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThus, for the entire tournament, which consisted of three matches, the coaches of the teams made a number of requests for VAR video support. In the six episodes analyzed, there was one error by the arbitrators. The average time of situation analysis by the VAR system is 97 seconds. The correctness of the arbitrators' decisions was 83.3%.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4.2\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\u003eThe second\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ecase study\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet’s begin by analyzing the results from the group stage, where four teams competed. This stage involved three matches.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe First Match: Argentyna vs Ukraine the VAR system was not used. The Second Match: Ukraine vs Angola\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;the VAR system was used once. The referee awarded a penalty kick. This decision was contested by the coach of Angola. However, after reviewing the episode using the VAR system, the referee’s decision was confirmed.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Third Match of the Group Stage. In this match, the VAR system was used three times. The unique aspect of this match was that one of the teams could advance to the next round (the knockout stage) with a win, making the match highly tense.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first time the VAR system was used was when a penalty was awarded. After a play close to the penalty area, the match referee pointed to a free kick. At the same time, the coach of the Ukrainian national team asked for a challenge to study the episode in detail.\u0026nbsp;As a result of using the VAR system to analyze the episode, the referees decided to award a penalty. What is special about this element is that the coach of the Ukrainian national team won twice. The first win was that his team was given the opportunity to take a penalty and successfully took advantage of it, scoring a goal. The second was that, according to the rules for using video support, the coach was allowed to make one more appeal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheSecond VAR usage: This also involved the awarding of a penalty. There was a sharp moment in Afghanistan’s penalty area that the referees did not notice. The coach of Ukraine protested, and after the review using VAR, the decision was made not to award the penalty.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheThird VAR usage: This concerned a rough challenge on the Afghanistan goalkeeper in his penalty area. The referees judged the play to be within the rules. However, the coach of Afghanistan requested VAR to review the incident and potentially award a red card to the opposing team. After reviewing the situation using VAR, the referees confirmed their original decision, meaning no red card was issued.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe match is in the 1/8 of final Ukraine vs Netherlands. The VAR system was not used. The quarterfinal match: Ukraine. vs Venezuela.In the 5th minute, the Ukrainian team scored a goal. The referees confirmed the goal. However, the coach of the Venezuelan team appealed for VAR assistance, claiming that the ball had crossed the sideline near the goal before the goal was scored. After reviewing the situation using VAR, the coach’s request was dismissed, and the referee’s decision was upheld.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe semifinal match: Ukraine vs Brazil. In one moment during the first half, while Brazil was attacking, the Ukrainian goalkeeper saved the ball and then controlled it with his hand, pressing it to the floor. A Brazilian player kicked the ball from under the goalkeeper's hand and sent it into the net. The referee awarded the goal. The coach of Ukraine appealed for VAR, and after reviewing the situation with VAR, the goal scored by Brazil was disallowed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also worth noting the effective use of VAR by the Ukrainian coach in this case. First, the goal against his team was disallowed, and second, the coach’s qualified appeal to VAR granted him another opportunity to use it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe next episode: during Ukraine’s attack, the ball hit a Brazilian player and went out of bounds. The referee allowed the Brazilian goalkeeper to restart the game. The Ukrainian coach appealed for VAR, claiming that there had been a handball by the Brazilian player. After reviewing the situation with VAR, the referees upheld their original decision, and the Ukrainian coach’s appeal was rejected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second half: after a corner kick in the penalty area, the ball struck the shoulder of a Ukrainian player and bounced to the goalkeeper, who then played the ball back into play. Following the Ukrainian attack, the coach of Brazil appealed for VAR to review a possible penalty. The appeal was rejected, and the referees' decision was upheld.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThethird-place match: Ukraine vs France. In one of the episodes, while the ball was near the center line, a French player harshly tackled a Ukrainian player. The referee awarded a free kick to Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian coach requested VAR to review the decision for a possible red card for the French player. The request was rejected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThefinal moments of the first half: during France’s attack, with 20 seconds left in the first half, a Ukrainian player tackled a French player just outside the penalty area, causing the French player to fall. The referee did not react to the incident. The ball then went to the goalkeeper, who played the ball back into play. A few seconds later, when the ball went out of bounds, the French coach requested VAR to review for a possible penalty. After analyzing the situation with VAR, the appeal was rejected. During Ukraine’s attack: French players fouled a Ukrainian player, but the referee did not react. The counterattack of the French national team ended with a goal. After that, the coach of the national team of Ukraine asked for video support to cancel the goal and award a penalty kick to the French national team. The appeal was rejected. The summary of the referees’ actions is provided in Table 5.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 5 Final results of arbitrators' actions of the second study\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"566\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of appeals\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage detection time, sec\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Number of satisfied\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of rejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCorrectness of arbitrators' actions ,%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThus, during the tournament, which consisted of eleven matches for the Ukrainian national team, the team's coaches made eleven requests for VAR support. Three appeals were upheld and eight were rejected. Thus, the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%. The average time for the VAR system to analyze a situation was 52 seconds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4.3\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\u003eAnalyzing the data of both tournaments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnalyzing the data of both tournaments, it was established that the violations questioned by the coaches of the teams were as follows: awarding a penalty 47%, taking a goal 29.5%, awarding a red card 23.5%. Regarding the identification of the player who received a yellow card, there are no appeals. The results of the studies are given in Table 6.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 6 \u0026nbsp;Distribution of violations\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"387\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReason\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of appeals\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndicators, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePenalty award\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssigning a red card\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScored a goal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePlayer identification\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results shown in Table 6 show that most of the referees' appeals are related to penalties. This is understandable - coaches want to improve the result for their team with this step. This is followed by appeals regarding the scoring or disallowance of a goal. The third result is the appointment or non-appointment of a chevron card. For futsal, this is a critical point, as receiving a red card leaves the team in the minority, which creates a high risk of conceding a goal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe correctness of the referees' actions is shown in Table\u0026nbsp;7. The first row of the table shows the data of the first tournament; the second row shows the data of the second one. And the final result of both tournaments is given in the third line.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 7 Final results of arbitrators' actions\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"566\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of appeals\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage detection time, sec\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of satisfied\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of rejected\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCorrectness of arbitrators' actions\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe average time for the VAR system to examine disputed episodes was 66 seconds. This time is very close to the duration of a 60-second break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed study of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComparing the number of refereeing errors made at the Ukrainian cup and the World Cup, we can conclude that the number of referee errors is higher at the World Cup. In our opinion, this can be explained by the higher level of the tournament, higher speeds on the court, more events, and power struggles. The high price of the result encourages teams to play on the edge of the foul, so in this case, referees make mistakes more often.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnalyzing the research data, we can conclude that the use of the VAR video referee system has a significant impact on the course of a football match. Thus, the successful use of the VAR video referee system by the coach of the Ukrainian national team in a match with the Afghan national team allowed him to correct the referee's mistake, award a penalty kick to the opponent's goal, and ultimately obtain a positive result for his team. Similarly, in a match with the Brazilian national team, the coach of the Ukrainian national team managed to overturn the referees' erroneous decision to award a goal to his team by using the VAR system. Based on the arguments presented, we can conclude that the successful use of the VAR system by the coach of the Ukrainian national team was a significant factor in the team's success. At the tournament, the Ukrainian national team won bronze medals at the World Cup for the first time in its history.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study shows the growing influence of the video assistant referee (VAR) technological innovation system in modern futsal. The use of VAR, a technology borrowed from football, is becoming increasingly relevant in futsal, where small playing fields and a fast pace of play lead to more frequent refereeing errors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the analysis of two distinct futsal tournaments, the Ukrainian futsal cup and the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan, it is evident that the VAR system is a valuable tool for verifying critical decisions such as goals, penalties, and red card fouls. It was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors.\u0026nbsp;The average time spent on reviewing controversial episodes is close to the duration of a one-minute break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed examination of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe paper also demonstrates that while the VAR system enhances the accuracy of refereeing decisions, its usage and impact vary depending on tournament regulations and the frequency of challenges allowed by coaches. The study also emphasizes that while VAR can improve officiating, its implementation requires careful management to avoid disrupting the flow of the game.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, the integration of VAR in futsal holds promise for improving match integrity and referee performance, although further refinements and consistency in its application are necessary to maximize its benefits in this fast-evolving sport.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePanchuk T, Chaikovsky I, Panchuk M. (2020) Application of Mobile Computer Digital Devise for Current Medical and Biological Control in Futsal. \u003cem\u003e2020 International Conference on Decision Aid Sciences and Application (DASA),\u003c/em\u003e Sakheer, Bahrain, 2020: 427-431\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarbero-Alvarez JC, Soto VM, Barbero-Alvarez V, Granda-Vera J. (2008). Match analysis and heart rate of futsal players during competition. J. Sports Sci. 26: 63\u0026ndash;73\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePanchuk M. Panchuk T, Panchuk A. Peculiarities of Application of Information Technologies in Footbal and Futsal. (2022) International Conference on Decision Aid Sciences and Applications (DASA), Chiangrai, Thailand, 2022: 702-708\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ede Oliveira MS, Steffen V, Trojan F. (2023) A systematic review of the literature on video assistant referees in soccer: Challenges and opportunities in sports analytics. Decis. Anal. J., 7 Article 100232 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMing Li, Xing Wang X, Shaoling Zhang. (2024) The effect of video assistant referee (VAR) on match performance in elite football: A systematic review with meta-analysis. \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology\u003c/em\u003e.0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371241254596\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHamsund T, Scelles N. (2021) Fans\u0026rsquo; Perceptions towards Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the English Premier League. \u003cem\u003eJ. Risk Financial Manag. 14\u003c/em\u003e, 573. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14120573\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKubayi A, Larkin P, Toriola,A.L. (2021) The impact of video assistant referee (VAR) on match performance variables at men\u0026rsquo;s FIFA World Cup tournaments. \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, 236\u003c/em\u003e, 187 \u0026ndash; 191\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePashaie S, Dickson G, Abdavi F, Azarin Y B, Golmohammadi H, Zheng J. Habibpour R. (2023) Football and the video assistant referee: A grounded theory approach. \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology\u003c/em\u003e.;0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371231213739\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This article explores the impact of the video assistant referee (VAR) system on futsal matches, particularly focusing on its role in assisting referees in decision-making. As the global development of information technologies influences various sectors, including sports, the integration of these technologies into futsal has become essential. The study examines how the VAR system, already employed in football, can potentially improve refereeing accuracy and reduce errors in futsal, where quick decisions are crucial due to the fast-paced nature of the game. The research includes data from two major events: the Ukrainian futsal cup and the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan. The experiments analysed the problems of decision-making by referees in key match situations, including goals, penalties, red cards and player identification. The study found that the VAR system significantly impacted decision-making in both tournaments. It was found that during the first tournament of the final part of the Ukrainian Cup, the referees made one mistake. The correctness of the judges' decisions was 83.3%. During the second tournament of the Futsal World Cup final, three decisions of the referees were rejected by the VAR system, and the correctness of the referees' decisions was -72.7%, and the final analysis of both tournaments showed the correctness of decisions at the level of -76.4%. At the same time, the VAR video support system eliminated these referee errors. The average time spent on reviewing controversial episodes is close to the duration of a one-minute break, which coaches are allowed to use once per half. Therefore, the use of an innovative system for a more detailed examination of controversial moments fits harmoniously into the course of a futsal match. The article concludes that the use of VAR in futsal improves the accuracy of refereeing decisions, though its application requires careful consideration to minimize its potential negative consequences and enhance its positive impact on the game.","manuscriptTitle":"The Influence of the VAR Technological Innovation System on the Course of Events in Futsal Matches","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-03 06:17:24","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6633909/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"56aad598-e8d1-4985-8112-8f7022723da3","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 3rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-06-03T06:17:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-03 06:17:24","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6633909","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6633909","identity":"rs-6633909","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}