Penerapan Teknologi Video Assistant Referee (VAR) dalam Sepak Bola: Dampak dan Kontroversi

Era modernisasi olahraga ditandai oleh kemajuan teknologi yang menjadi faktor penting dalam mendukung transparansi dan profesionalisme, termasuk dalam dunia sepak bola melalui penerapan Video Assistant Referee (VAR) sebagai inovasi untuk meningkatkan akurasi dan keadilan dalam pengambilan keputusan wasit. Berdasarkan sintesis data kuantitatif dan kualitatif dari 15 artikel penelitian nasional dan internasional (2019–2025), kajian ini menunjukkan bahwa VAR secara konsisten meningkatkan akurasi keputusan wasit dalam situasi krusial seperti gol, penalti, dan kartu merah, yang tercermin antara lain dari temuan penurunan jumlah foul, kartu kuning, dan offside per pertandingan serta peningkatan jumlah penalti yang diberikan setelah implementasi VAR di berbagai liga. Namun demikian, data juga mengindikasikan munculnya persoalan baru, seperti keterlambatan pengambilan keputusan dan gangguan terhadap alur permainan akibat proses review, peningkatan tekanan psikologis bagi pemain pada momen-momen penentuan, serta ketidakpuasan sebagian penonton yang terkait dengan kurangnya transparansi komunikasi dalam proses peninjauan. Dalam konteks Indonesia, efektivitas VAR masih dihadapkan pada tantangan berupa keterbatasan infrastruktur, variabilitas kompetensi sumber daya manusia, dan kesiapan institusional dalam mengadopsi standar operasional yang sejajar dengan praktik terbaik internasional. Dengan demikian, penerapan VAR yang ideal tidak hanya bergantung pada ketersediaan teknologi, tetapi memerlukan kolaborasi antara aspek teknologis, manajerial, dan etika olahraga agar mampu membangun sistem perwasitan yang adil, transparan, dan berintegritas, sekaligus meminimalkan dampak negatif terhadap ritme dan esensi permainan sepak bola.

Implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Technology in Football: Impacts and Controversies

Abstract

The era of sports modernization is marked by technological advances that have become an important factor in supporting transparency and professionalism, including in the world of soccer through the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) as an innovation to improve the accuracy and fairness of referees' decisions. Based on a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data from 15 national and international research articles (2019–2025), this study shows that VAR consistently improves the accuracy of referees' decisions in crucial situations such as goals, penalties, and red cards, as reflected, among other things, in findings of a decrease in the number of fouls, yellow cards, and offsides per match and an increase in the number of penalties awarded after the implementation of VAR in various leagues. However, the data also indicates the emergence of new problems, such as delays in decision-making and disruption to the flow of the game due to the review process, increased psychological pressure on players at decisive moments, and dissatisfaction among some spectators related to a lack of transparency in communication during the review process. In the Indonesian context, the effectiveness of VAR still faces challenges in the form of limited infrastructure, variability in human resource competencies, and institutional readiness in adopting operational standards that are in line with international best practices. Therefore, the ideal implementation of VAR does not only depend on the availability of technology, but requires collaboration between technological, managerial, and sports ethics aspects in order to build a fair, transparent, and ethical refereeing system, while minimizing the negative impact on the rhythm and essence of the game of soccer.