Will VAR be used at the women’s Euro 2025 Championship in Switzerland? | OneFootball

Euro 2025 is just days away from kicking off and ahead of the tournament in Switzerland, we take a look at all of the official VAR information for the tournament.

VAR at Euro 2025

As women’s football continues to boom in popularity, the game has picked up the state of the art technology that has already been developed in the men’s game, including VAR.

VAR was first introduced into women’s football in 2022 for the Euros but since then the system has advanced a long way.

At this year’s Euros in Switzerland there will be one VAR and an assistant used for every group stage game, with an extra assistant added from the quarter-final stage to ensure that minimal mistakes are made during the tournament.

“We believe that VAR is fundamental in modern football but we want strong referees on the pitch taking decisions,” explained Roberto Rosetti, the UEFA director for refereeing. “VAR must only be a parachute to help referees. It cannot be a replacement for referees, and the final decision will always be taken by the referee, with clear evidence for clear mistakes.”

The VAR centre for Euro 2025 will be the same one that was used during last season’s Champions League campaign, with the team operating from the UEFA HQ in Nyon.

Much like at the men’s Euros in 2024, all VAR calls will be announced by referees on the pitch after a decision has been made, so that the whole stadium and those watching on from home can understand.

As well as VAR, this year will mark a major milestone for women’s football with new technology in use, as semi-automated offsides will be implemented for the first time in Switzerland.

Officials fully prepared for Euro 2025

During his briefing for Euro 2025 which begins later this week, Roberto Rosetti also addressed the preparation officials have undergone for the competition.

“These are not only the best referees for this tournament, but also among the elite in Europe, and indeed, the world,” said Rosetti.

“You’ll see on the pitch that our referees are very well prepared. Just one year ago, I challenged our referees, I stressed to them to rethink their level and increase their physical preparation. Today, I am very proud. Every one of them has passed the men’s fitness test. And believe me, that is not easy.”

There will be 13 referees in use at Euro 2025, with an additional three in reserve just in case. Alongside the referees will be 16 VAR teams and 24 assistant refs.