UEFA has published Clear Line, a refereeing video library that makes the guidance given to referees and Video Assistant Referees (VARs) openly available and illustrates when VAR intervention is expected.
- UEFA has published Clear Line, a public refereeing video library explaining VAR guidance (Source 1).
- The platform presents video examples and principles, emphasising VAR should correct clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents (Source 1).
- Press coverage reports officials saying the library draws on around eight years of experience and 100+ clips and is aimed at referees and the wider football public (Source 3).
What UEFA confirmed
UEFA describes Clear Line as “a refereeing video library, providing unprecedented open access to the guidance we give to referees and VARs to help them apply the Laws of the Game consistently across Europe.” The official UEFA page for the project presents the platform as a public resource of refereeing guidance, with video examples intended to explain when VAR should correct “clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents in match-changing situations.” (Source 1)
What Clear Line contains and who it is for
The official UEFA description frames Clear Line as a repository of cases, plays, procedures and criteria for VAR application. UEFA positions the platform as an explanatory tool aimed beyond refereeing bodies: it is intended to be consulted by clubs, players, coaches, media and supporters seeking to understand how and why VAR decisions are made in UEFA competitions. (Source 1)
Context and reported comments
Press coverage cited UEFA refereeing officials describing the project as drawing on around eight years of VAR experience and more than 100 video clips collected to illustrate typical cases. Those reports attribute comments to Roberto Rosetti, head of UEFA’s referees committee, that the platform explains “when and how the video assistant referee should intervene” and was prepared for a broad audience including players, coaches, fans and journalists. An additional UEFA official, reported as Velasco Carballo, is said to have emphasised that the site is aimed at anyone wanting to compare incidents with the clips in the library rather than being a tool restricted to referees. These explanatory remarks appear in contemporary coverage of the launch. (Source 3)
How UEFA says VAR should be used
The official description included on UEFA’s Clear Line page restates a commonly cited principle of VAR deployment: that VAR should address clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents in match-changing situations. This phrasing encapsulates UEFA’s stated threshold for intervention and is presented alongside the video-led guidance in the library. (Source 1)
What happens next and implementation notes
UEFA presents Clear Line as a reference to help apply the Laws of the Game consistently; the official page is the primary source for the platform itself. Press reports indicate UEFA plans to use the guidance from the platform in its competitions going forward and that the material is available for public consultation. The official UEFA page does not, by itself, publish a timetable of enforcement changes or specific competition-level directives; any formal changes to VAR operational protocols in UEFA competitions would be set out through UEFA’s refereeing and competition governance channels.
Timeline and practical implications
- Platform publication: UEFA has published the Clear Line refereeing video library on its refereeing pages (official source describes the resource and its purpose). (Source 1)
- Material used: Reports say the collection draws on several years of VAR experience and more than 100 illustrative clips; those details are reported in recent press coverage attributed to UEFA refereeing officials. (Source 3)
- Practical effect: The library is intended to give clubs, players, coaches, media and fans a clear reference when judging VAR interventions and to promote consistent application of the Laws of the Game. The official pages present the platform as explanatory rather than as a stand-alone rule change. (Source 1)
Areas of uncertainty and attribution
UEFA’s own page describes Clear Line and its purpose; additional specifics about internal decision-making, a season-by-season implementation timetable, or formal changes to VAR operational rules were reported by media outlets quoting UEFA refereeing officials. Those media reports attribute remarks to named UEFA refereeing figures; readers should treat those quoted remarks as reported by press coverage rather than as verbatim official text from the UEFA documentation. (Sources 1 and 3)
Why this matters to British football audiences
For clubs and supporters in Great Britain, the Clear Line library offers a publicly accessible way to review the principles UEFA says underpin VAR interventions in European competitions. If UEFA applies the same guidance in its matches, the resource could become a reference point when assessing VAR decisions in champions League, Europa League and other UEFA fixtures involving British clubs.
Key takeaway
UEFA has launched Clear Line, a publicly available refereeing video library intended to explain the criteria and examples that guide VAR intervention in European matches. The platform is presented by UEFA as a tool to promote consistent application of the Laws of the Game and to make the reasoning behind VAR interventions more transparent to referees, clubs and the wider public. (Source 1)
"Clear Line is UEFA’s refereeing video library, providing unprecedented open access to the guidance we give to referees and VARs" — UEFA description (Source 1)