Amman, Aug. 19 (Petra) -- The Jordan Football Association (JFA) will officially introduce the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system starting with the launch of the 2026/2027 professional season.
The move marks a historic milestone for Jordanian football, representing a new stage in its development, bringing the game in line with continental and international standards and enhancing transparency in refereeing decisions.
Samar Nassar, JFA secretary-general, said the VAR project represents an investment in technology, infrastructure, and the development of personnel.
She said the association had worked for an extended period to prepare the necessary technical requirements and infrastructure and to train and qualify personnel to ensure an appropriate environment for operating the technology in accordance with approved standards.
Nassar said introducing VAR in professional competitions had long been a goal for the association and a demand from stakeholders and fans because of its potential to increase transparency in key refereeing decisions and reduce errors, while also developing the capabilities of Jordanian referees and enhancing their opportunities to participate in continental and international competitions.
The project includes infrastructure at seven stadiums, using a model that combines permanent installations at three stadiums with mobile units at four others. The setup provides operational flexibility, allowing the technology to be expanded to as many stadiums as possible hosting matches in the Jordanian Super Cup, the CFI Jordanian Professional League, and the CFI Jordan Cup.
Permanent VAR units have been installed at Amman International Stadium, Al Hassan Stadium, and King Abdullah II Stadium, while mobile units will serve Al Petra, Al Salt, Prince Mohammed, and Aqaba stadiums.
Nassar said preparations at the stadiums included upgrades to communications and electricity networks, technical equipment linked to the system, permanent VAR rooms and mobile units, as well as backup power systems to ensure the system continues operating during power outages and to improve its readiness to handle various operating conditions.
On referee training, Nassar said 24 referees and assistant referees had been trained in the first phase of the VAR preparation program, along with a number of video operators and technicians.
She said referee certification is conducted under a program overseen by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, and includes theoretical and practical stages leading to a final assessment.
The VAR referee preparation program consists of five stages covering training, theoretical lectures, practical application, and assessment. The program aims to qualify referees in line with international certification standards and improve their readiness to use the technology during matches.
The implementation of the project will also bring changes to the number of personnel and equipment normally used in domestic matches. Each match will be overseen by six referees instead of four, including a video referee and an assistant video referee. A video technology operator and a technician will also be assigned to each match.
The exclusive broadcaster of the professional competitions, Jordan TV's sports channel, will provide the necessary number of cameras and equipment to meet the requirements of each match and ensure broadcasts are produced according to the required standards.
VAR will be used under the protocol approved by FIFA in six specific situations: reviewing goals, penalty-kick decisions, red-card incidents, mistaken identity when a player is shown a yellow or red card, incorrectly awarded corner kicks, and reviewing a second yellow card.
The project's total cost is approximately JD800,000 ($1.13 million), including JD112,000 in annual operating expenses. Capital costs total JD686,000 and include JD250,000 for preparing and upgrading stadium infrastructure, funded by the Jordan Football Association and its partners, the Ministry of Youth, the Greater Amman Municipality, and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).
The Jordan Football Association funded the remaining JD436,000 in capital costs for the purchase of VAR devices, equipment, and systems.
//Petra// AF
