Pathway · Lateral move
Professional Referee to Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Official
How to move from Professional Referee to Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Official: what to learn, what to prove and what formal steps, if any, are needed.
Qualification check for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Official
Required
This move needs the right qualification, licence or registration for the new role. VAR officials are normally current or former elite referees with extra training.
1 to 3 yearstypical timeline
2new skills to build
0qualifications to consider
-12%mid-point UK pay change, illustrative
The move at a glance
Professional Referee
Referees top-division matches as a full-time or highly paid official.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Official
Reviews key decisions in real time from a video operations room.
Skills and knowledge to build
Experience and routes that help
The routes into your current role also work for this one. Focus on a wider scope of responsibility.
Qualifications to consider
No additional qualification is typically required. Experience and a track record matter most.
What the new role asks of you
- Review goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity
- Communicate with the on-field referee
- Follow protocol and keep reviews fast
Practical steps
- Ask for a small piece of the new role's work before you apply, for example one of the tasks above.
- Close the top gap first: Communication.
- Keep a record of two results that show you working at the next level.
- Talk to three people who do the job. Ask how they got in, and who they would recommend you speak to.