With a new Champions League round starting today, with the knockout play-offs, and big games like Benfica vs. Real Madrid and Monaco vs. PSG, UEFA refereeing director Roberto Rosetti has reminded that VAR "was created to correct" and will only be used for clear and obvious errors.
"We must remember why VAR was introduced. It was created to correct. The technology is excellent for objective decisions, like offsides, but for subjective judgments, we need to be cautious, because when we review tiny details we are slowing the game down", said Rosetti on a report shared by UEFA ahead of the upcoming matches.
Rosetti insists that VAR will only be used for clear errors, and they will protect the flow of the game. He trusts the criteria of field referees on more difficult and subjective plays, and acknowledges that there is a growing trend of exaggeration by players who drop to the ground after minimal contact.
"What we see on television is not always what the referee sees on the pitch", he said, thus leaving to field referees the final decision in plays that are more open to interpretation, including considering players' attitude and intention in cases of handball that don't present a clear and obvious mistake.