Analysis of VAR Decisions in Spanish Football: A Comprehensive Review

The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has acknowledged a total of 10 officiating errors out of 51 reviewed incidents during this season’s inaugural ‘Tiempo de Revisión.’ This audiovisual segment, launched by the RFEF for analyzing controversial plays in Primera, Segunda, and Liga Femenina, has provided a platform for discussion and learning.

These 51 instances are not exhaustive of all VAR interventions, which could potentially be double that number. They have been carefully selected over the course of 18 matchdays, nearly a complete first half of the season, by a committee that includes coaches José Luis Oltra, José Ramón Sandoval, and José Luis Sánchez Vera, along with former footballer Fernando Morientes. Their assessments carry significant weight, as they are effectively regarded as authoritative statements from the CTA.

Among the 10 incorrectly officiated plays, Atlético Madrid emerges notably as a ‘winner.’ This includes the overlooked offside of Giuliano against Alavés, where VAR failed to recognize the player’s illegal position, and the failure to sanction a clear red card for Koke’s hold on Rayo goalkeeper Batalla, which the CTA deemed a necessary expulsion.

Barcelona also benefitted from a clear error, specifically in the incident involving Raíllo, where a safety foul should have been called, occurring well before a goal was scored. Other teams like Real Sociedad, Athletic, Alavés, Mallorca, and Rayo have also gained from official errors, with each recording at least one favorable decision.

Conversely, among the larger teams, Real Madrid finds itself on the receiving end of unfavorable VAR decisions, notably in the controversial Huijsen action in San Sebastian. While the CTA recognizes that VAR may not have intervened due to the ambiguous nature of the play, they believe the referee should have issued a yellow card.

Rayo Vallecano leads in terms of adverse decisions, facing two incidents against them (the Batalla incident and Alemão’s hold against Alavés), alongside Real Madrid. Other teams experiencing unfavorable calls include Espanyol, Celta, Athletic, Mallorca, and Alavés.

In two specific matches, VAR interventions were poorly executed (Elche-Athletic and Valencia-Villarreal); however, the referee maintained consistency in their decision-making, resulting in no clear advantage or disadvantage for any team.

Among the remaining 38 analyzed plays in Primera, the CTA asserts that the VAR either correctly alerted the referee or appropriately refrained from intervention, allowing the referee’s judgment to prevail. Notably, one incident corrected a mistake against Madrid when Eric García’s handball at the Bernabéu was reviewed and rightly penalized. Other favorable calls for Madrid stemmed from either allowing play to continue or canceling previous advantages.

Both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, currently leading and third in LaLiga respectively, share similar stats in terms of accurate VAR interventions. Barcelona received justice for one penalty awarded to them and faced a correction for a disallowed goal against Osasuna, while Atlético Madrid dealt with two unfavorable calls. Among the four instances where VAR wisely chose not to intervene for Atlético, three occurred during their derby against Madrid.

The ‘Tiempo de Revisión’ format represents a groundbreaking initiative in Spanish football, designed to enhance the understanding of officiating decisions among players, coaches, and fans. Transparency and accessibility are the guiding principles behind all actions taken by the CTA, which is currently led by Fran Soto.