VAR in Scotland – one year on: Exclusive audio of incidents released to Sky Sports but has it been a success?

A year on from its Scottish football debut, Sky Sports has been given unprecedented access to the screens at VAR headquarters in Scotland to find out whether the technology has been a success…

It was on October 21, 2022 that VAR was used for the first time in a Scottish Premiership match when Hibernian took on St Johnstone at Easter Road.

A lot has happened in the 365 days that have followed, and while Scottish FA head of refereeing Crawford Allan says he is pleased with the journey his team is on, he believes things will continue to get better.

“We can continually improve our success rates,” he said Air sports. “Am I happy with the journey we’re on? Yes. Do I think we can get better? Absolutely.

“Do we continue to learn and communicate and hopefully prove clarity to stakeholders? It is something we continue to work on.

“There is still a long way to go, but we will continue to learn. We will never get to a place where we are all happy, that will never happen, but overall I am happy with where we are at the end of the first year to stand .”

Greg Aitken – one of two dedicated VAR officials in Scotland – has revealed that referees continue to learn and even develop processes following a major mistake in the Premier League after Liverpool’s Luiz Diaz wrongly disallowed a goal at Tottenham earlier this month.

“We learned from that and as a result we received further coaching,” he said Air sports. “Again, there are parts of that coaching that I’ve personally built into my pre-match instructions. I’m going to sit down with my assistant VAR and replay operator and we’ll probably use that as an example of ‘if this happens, here’s how we deal with it.”

Aitken has taken up his role at Clydesdale House, Scotland’s VAR headquarters, after several years on the pitch and admits the pressure is just as intense.

He said: “As a referee on the pitch we make decisions in split seconds, we have seen one angle. In the VAR room we have the privilege of six cameras at every match and many more during our live broadcast. match, so it may be inexcusable if we don’t examine a decision as thoroughly and clearly as we should, with the bonus of the six different angles we do have.

“So the pressure is different, maybe a little more intense, but the beauty of the six corners gives you the confidence that you will achieve the right result.”

The introduction of VAR has introduced a new level of control over decisions, but Allan believes the extra pressure is good for his team.

He said: “My aim is to make the Scottish football product the best it can be and that includes having referees at the best level on the field of play.

“The level of control is a challenge. They like to operate at the highest level, just like any other player, but they accept that there is control involved.

“After one or two perceived mistakes in the public eye, we can look at that and say we’ll give you a week or two in another area of ​​Scottish football or another competition, with coaches coming to you and giving you feedback .” and then build trust. The same goes for a player who needs it, so I don’t think we differ in that regard.

“What I can guarantee is that the referees feel absolutely responsible. They know that every decision is scrutinized and they know that if there are mistakes that keep appearing, and I know that fans will say: ‘Yes, but what about so and so?’ They’ve had a long career and they’re still here, it’s because they’re much more right.”

First ever Scottish Premiership VAR audio released

As part of Sky Sports’ ‘VAR in Scotland: One Year On’ programme, head of refereeing Crawford Allan analyzed some incidents from the past year, with audio that has never been broadcast – highlighting how things work behind the scenes…