VAR - your questions answered
- Published
The Ask Me Anything team have been going through your questions - and several were about Video Assistant Referees (VAR).
During the FA Cup final, Crystal Palace's goalkeeper handled the ball outside the penalty area. Why was there was no free-kick?
The referee did not award a free-kick in real time and VAR was called upon to review the decision.
VAR could only have overturned the referee's original decision - no offence - if Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was deemed to have denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity by handling the ball outside the penalty area, which would also have resulted in him being sent off.
VAR ruled Henderson had committed a handball offence but the direction in which Erling Haaland was going made it a possible - but not obvious - goalscoring opportunity.
Yellow cards and free-kicks cannot be awarded as a result of a VAR check.
Therefore, the game restarted with a Manchester City throw-in, which was the decision given before play was stopped.
Why does the assistant referee raise their flag, despite knowing it will go to VAR?
Since the start of the 2020-21 Premier League season, assistant referees have been advised to keep their flag down if they feel there is an immediate scoring opportunity.
Once a goal is scored, or the threat of a goalscoring opportunity is over, the official will signal if they believe there was an offside in the build-up.
International Football Association Board (IFAB) protocol states: "If an assistant referee delays a flag for an offence, the assistant referee must raise the flag if the attacking team scores a goal, is awarded a penalty kick, free-kick, corner kick or throw-in, or retains possession of the ball after the initial attack has ended."
If an offside call was upheld by VAR, a free-kick would be given to the defending team because the assistant's flag and the resulting referee's whistle would have stopped play at that point.
Without the assistant's flag, there is an opportunity for a decision to be made in favour of the attacking team, because play was not halted by an on-field decision.
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Are the National League play-off finals the only ones without VAR?
Yes, the National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 1 June will not have the use of VAR.
The EFL play-off finals have used VAR since 2022.
The Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals will also use semi-automated offside technology and in-stadia announcements.
The National League does not come under the EFL's jurisdiction.
Why is there VAR in the final of the EFL play-offs and not in the semi-finals?
This was due to a combination of stadia infrastructure, workload and the timings of when the semi-finals were scheduled.
This is not a problem at Wembley where all three EFL play-off finals take place.
Thanks to John in Elswick, Alex in Harrogate, Thomas in Billingham and Patrick in West Midlands for the questions!
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
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