Social Studies and Research in Iran

Social Studies and Research in Iran

Sociological Analysis of the Impact of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) on Iranian Football

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Alireza Tarkhan 1
Morteza Taheri 1
Seyed Pooya Rasoulinejad 2
Amir Abasqolipour 1
1 Department of Motor Behavior and Sports Psychology, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, Iran.
2 Department of Islamic Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jisr.2025.406863.1688
Abstract
The introduction of technology into various areas of social life, including sports and sports competitions, has grown significantly in recent years. One of these technologies is the video assistant referee (VAR) in football matches, and the present study aims to investigate the sociological nature of this technology and its impact on the social structure of Iranian football.
This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and using thematic analysis method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 sports experts (including referees, coaches, university professors, veterans and analysts of the Iranian Premier Football League).
The findings showed that VAR makes sense at three levels: from the perspective of technological determinism as a determining force in behavior and decision-making; from the perspective of technological effects as a tool for promoting justice and social control; and from the perspective of social constructionism as a phenomenon whose meanings and functions are redefined in the interactions and lived experiences of actors. On the one hand, this technology has led to a relative enhancement of the sense of justice and increased social trust in referees, but on the other hand, it has brought consequences such as weakening the referee's symbolic authority, reducing collective emotion, transferring the locus of protests from the field to the media, and creating cultural inequality due to differences in infrastructure. Also, institutional distrust and poor media transparency were identified as the main obstacles to the full acceptance of VAR in Iran.
VAR technology in Iranian football has a dual effect: on the one hand, it increases the accuracy of refereeing and the sense of justice, and on the other hand, it causes psychological tensions and changes in social and cultural interactions. The findings of this study can be beneficial for sports policymakers, the Football Federation, and the media in optimizing the implementation of VAR and reducing its negative consequences.
Keywords
Iranian Football
Social Constructivism
Sociology of Sport
Technological Determinism
Video Assistant Referee
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Social Studies and Research in Iran
Volume 14, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 773-804