VAR does not work with a fixed time limit. For goals, penalty decisions and red cards for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, it may be necessary to review the attacking phase of play that led directly to the decision or incident, and that may include how the attacking team gained possession in open play.
How the attacking phase works
The reviewable period before and after an incident is set by the Laws of the Game and the VAR protocol. There is no stated number of seconds, passes or actions that defines the limit.
What matters is the direct link to the incident. For goal and penalty situations, the review can cover an attacking-team offence in the build-up, such as handball, a foul or offside, and it can also cover the ball being out of play before the goal or before the penalty incident.
What VAR can still review
Here is whether each situation can still be reviewed.
| Situation | Can it be reviewed? |
|---|---|
| The attacking phase that led directly to a goal, a penalty decision or a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity | It may be necessary to review it; this may include how the attacking team gained possession in open play |
| A restart decision such as a corner kick or throw-in, once play has restarted | No |
| After play has stopped and restarted: a case of mistaken identity | Yes |
| After play has stopped and restarted: a potential sending-off for violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive action(s) | Yes |
| After play has stopped and restarted: any other incident | No |
What cannot be changed after a restart
Restart decisions cannot be changed once play has restarted, so they cannot be reviewed at that point. Corner kicks and throw-ins are clear examples, and the same limit applies to other restart decisions.
There is a separate point on wrongly awarded corner kicks. A clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick can be reviewed as a competition option only if the decision can be changed immediately and without delaying the restart. The Premier League does not intend to adopt that competition option.
Exceptions after play has restarted
Once play has stopped and restarted, the referee may not undertake a review except in a closed set of cases. Those exceptions are mistaken identity, or a potential sending-off offence for violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive action(s).
There is also a rule for what happens after the original incident. If play continues and the incident is then reviewed, disciplinary action taken or required in that post-incident period is not cancelled even if the original decision changes. The exception covers a caution or sending-off for stopping or interfering with a promising attack or for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
FAQ
Does VAR review the whole move every time?
Not necessarily. For a goal, a penalty decision or a DOGSO red card, it may be necessary to review the attacking phase that led directly to the decision or incident, and this may include how the attacking team gained possession in open play.
Can VAR check something after play has restarted?
Only in two cases. After play has stopped and restarted, review remains available for mistaken identity and for potential sending-off offences involving violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive action(s).
Can VAR review a corner kick?
A restart decision cannot be reviewed once play has restarted. A clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick can be reviewed as a competition option only if the decision can be changed immediately and without delaying the restart; the Premier League does not intend to adopt that option.
Can VAR go back if the ball was already out of play before a goal or penalty incident?
Yes. For goal and penalty reviews, the ball being out of play before the goal or before the incident is part of the reviewable scope.