Is VAR being used at Women’s Euro 2022?

VAR at Women's Euro 2022
(Image credit: PA)

The Women’s Euros kicks off on July 6 and there will be VAR at Women’s Euro 2022. This will be the first time that Video Assistant Referees have been used at a Women’s European Championships. It has previously been used at the Women’s World Cup back in 2019 where it caused a number of controversies, particularly in its use around goalkeepers stepping off their line in penalty shoot-outs, following the updated rules from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

VAR will be used in all the games at the Women’s Euros. UEFA have selected referees from across Europe who will be the Video Assistant Referees. Chris Kavanagh has been selected from England to man the technology, along with referees from France, Germany, and Italy among others. There will be a team of two video assistant referees at each stadium. 

VAR at Women's Euro 2022 will be used for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents”, when considering four different situations: goals, penalty decisions, red-cards, or mistaken identity. It will also be used for factual decisions such as offsides or whether a player is inside or outside the area. 

Full list of Video Assistant Referees

  • Chris Kavanagh (ENG)
  • Benoît Millot (FRA)
  • Maïka Vanderstichel (FRA)
  • Christian Dingert (GER)
  • Harm Osmers (GER)
  • Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
  • Paolo Valeri (ITA)
  • Pol van Boekel (NED)
  • Dennis Higler (NED)
  • Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
  • Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
  • Luís Miguel Branco Godinho (POR)
  • Tiago Lopes Martins (POR)
  • Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (ESP)
  • José María Sánchez Martínez (ESP)

Jessy Parker Humphreys is a freelance women's football writer. A Chelsea fan, Jessy has been following the women's game since being taken to the 2003/04 FA Cup final at Loftus Road and seeing Arsenal thrash Jessy's local side Charlton. Fortunately, Arsenal don't win quite as much as they used to – although Jessy hopes Charlton will also be back at the top of the women's game one day.