Sport has held an important place in society for centuries. It is gradually moving away from a marginal role to assume an increasingly prominent position in everyday, socially relevant issues, while simultaneously gaining greater financial significance. Therefore, clear and fair rules, as well as legal regulation in the field of sport, are essential to ensure a level playing field, equal conditions, and opportunities for all participants. With the advancement of technology, particularly video and camera systems, refereeing errors have become increasingly apparent, often having a decisive impact on the course of sporting and football history. These errors have frequently fostered a sense of injustice among spectators and players, undermining confidence in the sporting system. The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology represents a significant step towards greater accuracy and precision in refereeing decisions. Nevertheless, it has encountered strong resistance and widespread criticism within the traditional and conservative football community, as it interferes with the natural characteristics of the game, such as spontaneity and continuity. VAR technology represents the future of football but constitutes only one stage in the ongoing pursuit of fairness. Significant shortcomings remain, particularly in areas of transparency, speed, and consistency of decisions and procedures. This Master’s thesis analyses the sporting and legal implications of the introduction of VAR technology, explores its impact on the integrity of sport, and seeks to strike a balance between decision accuracy and correctness, and the preservation of the fundamental characteristics of the game.
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