This Tuesday, for the first time in the history of Central America, a football match was played with video refereeing. It was in the match between Liberia and Cartaginés (Costa Rica) and it was decisive because in the 35th minute of the match the VAR decreed a penalty in favor of the locals that the referee had not seen live. That first goal of the match opened the scoring for Liberia, who would end up winning 3-0 in this already historic duel. It was a unique moment, with many happy and excited faces.

The VAR has been implemented in the Costa Rican league being this the first country in that territory to bet on a system that FIFA intends to be installed in as many countries as possible through its Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme (IAAP), approved in 2018, and that begins to expand around the world.

FIFA’s IAAP program was created with the aim of expanding VAR to as many geographical areas as possible and for this purpose there are seven accredited companies around the world specialized in offering this system. In this last successful case -that of the Costa Rican league-, the services of the Spanish company Quality were chosen, the only ‘low cost’ solution of ‘full VAR’ operation centralized through the Internet that allows to enjoy this technology and all its services at the lowest possible cost for a federation or competition.

This ‘full VAR’ at an economical price of Quality is also widespread in Asia -through the Asian Football Confederation- providing its video refereeing technology to both the Mitsubishi Cup and the Shopee Cup and is seen as a measure that will contribute to the expansion desired by FIFA among competitions and federations that do not wish to invest a high budget in VAR receiving the same quality and guarantees as the major leagues. That is why it has been key for a league like Costa Rica’s to be able to count on VAR.

“The launch of VAR in Costa Rica opens a new door to the development of the tool in the Americas. Having been able to successfully implement a decentralized solution based on public internet streams in a country with limited connectivity such as Costa Rica shows us that Quality’s VAR model has no limits and can be extended to any territory. This will allow us to take it to countries that do not currently have VAR and expand it to lower divisions or women’s soccer where the system already operates. We expect to operate VAR in more than 500,000 matches over the next decade in the Americas,” explains Pablo Reyes, President of Quality.

VAR TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

The FIFA Quality Program distinguishes between VAR technology providers and VAR system integrators (VSI). Only VAR technology providers, who are responsible for the development of VAR technology, can apply for certification under the FIFA Quality Program. The IAAP, on the other hand, focuses on inspecting and approving the technology offered by both VAR technology providers and VSIs.

⏰ 37’ Primera vez que se usa el VAR en Costa Rica y es para señalar un penal a favor de Liberia.

➡️ VAR Telecable

🔗 https://t.co/MJI5WuloLO pic.twitter.com/k6X5E3XCzP

— FUTV (@FUTVCR) September 10, 2024

The VSIs listed below, in alphabetical order, are authorized to provide VAR technology services if they use a FIFA-certified VAR system and meet IAAP requirements:

Broadcast Solutions GmbH
Broadcasting Televisão Ltda
Broadmedia
Medialuso & Mediapro
Quality
Sporthub
Talent Sports