Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will make its official debut in NWSL on the opening day of the 2023 season, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has announced.
Addressing the media, Berman , announced a raft of items that are progressing as well as other key achievements the league has made. Key amongst the those is the introduction of VAR. Commissioner Berman mooted the concept late last season, insisting the need for better value brought about by accurately officiated matches.
VAR, which has since been used in the women’s game with the 2029 World Cup seeing its introduction, will see its full debut in women’s professional league.
“We are implementing VAR,” she said. “This is a really big deal. Not just because we know that we have to and are committed to elevating the quality of officiating in our game, [but] that it requires significant investment and our board has authorized that investment. But also because we are the first-ever women’s professional league to commit to investing in VAR for the professionals and we’re really proud of that.”
VAR is viewed as a key step in achieving better production value from the league, an area of concern for most stakeholders in the game.
