Norwegian football to keep Var, although professional clubs vote for the scrap system

Norwegian football will continue to use Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR), although its professional clubs stop the system at the beginning of this year.

In January, the 32 teams in Norsk Put Pfotball (NTF), represented the clubs in the two best departments of Norway – The Elite Series and First Division – – to apply 19 votes to 13 to apply for the Norway Football Federation (NFF), “assume the demolition of Var as soon as possible”.

The NFF then held a meeting on Saturday, March 1st, in which all 450 member clubs – the vast majority of amateur and base clubs that were not used for the incumbent technology – were asked to coordinate whether they wanted to maintain Var.

321 of the NFF clubs voted for the maintenance of the use of Var and defeated the 129, which voted for the application to begin the process of the setting.

“This is the greatest turnout since the vote (the 2022 World Cup in) Qatar” The athlete.

“For those who want to have the distance, as the smaller clubs that form most participants, it will always be difficult. You did that this time too. The FA has put its weight behind it to keep Var.

“Nevertheless, 129 votes against the Uanonynic position of the FA board is a strong reference to the opposition to Var in Norway.”

Var was introduced in elitisters in 2023, but was often the subject of trailer protests. In an incident in July 2024, the top game between Rosenborg and Lilleststrom was abandoned after the supporters had thrown tennis balls, fish cakes and smoke bombs onto the field in protest against the technology.

In a VAR report of the NFF in November it was found that the Federation was criticized for “communication style in relation to Var” and was added: “The players recognize that Var has improved the fairness of referee decisions, but demands improvements in time management and foreseeable procedures.”

Elsewhere in Europe, Sweden rejected the first country to reject the implementation from Var to Fan back in May. The following month, the Premier League clubs rejected suggestions to scrap Var after an application from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the general meeting of the league.

(Jill Delsaux/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)