VFF Vice President: 'Some V.League referees depend on VAR'

At the draw ceremony for the 2025/26 V.League schedule on the afternoon of July 14, VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu admitted that refereeing was still a major problem of the last season, even though VAR technology had been widely applied.

Some V.League referees still depend on VAR. Photo: VPF .

“Last season, some referees relied on VAR, so they were not proactive in controlling the match in some situations,” said VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu. “Before each season, VFF always strengthens referee training. However, some referees still have human and professional errors, and those errors are all handled. To prepare for the new season, during referee training sessions, VFF has asked the referee committee to invite FIFA lecturers.”

The fact that many referees were not flexible and waited for VAR to intervene caused the match to be interrupted, causing controversy in some important situations in V.League 2024/25. However, this is still a turning point season when for the first time, all matches in a round were applied VAR.

“Currently, V.League has 4 VAR vehicles. VAR technology is used in V.League matches, National Cup and some important matches in the First Division. In the final round of last season, because the matches took place at the same time, only 4 matches were arranged with VAR. However, the remaining 4 matches all had quality referees to ensure objectivity. In the recent play-off match, we agreed to buy 1 more VAR vehicle, thereby increasing the number of matches with VAR and making it more convenient to travel in the Central region,” Vice President Tran Anh Tu added.

Returning to V.League 2025/26, the tournament will start from August 15 with a double round-robin format, a total of 26 rounds and 182 matches. The two teams at the bottom of the table will be directly relegated.

Regarding foreign players, clubs participating in AFC tournaments are allowed to register 7 foreign players. The remaining teams are allowed to register a maximum of 4 foreign players. In each match, a maximum of 4 foreign players are allowed to register to play, of which only 3 can play on the field at the same time.

According to the draw results, the opening round will have two key matches. That is the derby between CAHN and The Cong Viettel at Hang Day Stadium. Meanwhile, Ha Tinh Club will welcome newcomer Ninh Binh at home.

Source: https://znews.vn/pho-chu-tich-vff-mot-so-trong-tai-vleague-phu-thuoc-vao-var-post1568585.html