Polish media launch campaign to give coaches the right to demand VAR reviews during football matches

The campaign

"Dziennik Bałtycki" has launched an initiative called "VAR na żądanie — piłka po naszej stronie" (VAR on demand — the ball is in our court), calling for a rule change that would let coaching staffs trigger a video review. The newspaper argues that, just as in hockey, basketball or volleyball, the bench should have the right to ask the referee to examine a disputed incident. The campaign has been promoted with the hashtag #VARnażądanie and is accompanied by an open letter to the Polish Football Association (PZPN).

VAR protocol and its limits

Video assistant referees were first used at a major men’s tournament at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The ongoing 2026 tournament is the third World Cup with the technology, which relies on a seven‑person officiating team and 42 cameras. Until recently, only the VAR official in the booth could initiate a review. This year, on‑field referees gained a narrow power to request a check themselves — for instance, before issuing a second yellow card — but coaches still have no formal role.

Everyone has seen several matches ruined by referees because they couldn't use the technology. The protocol was blocking us. Someone on TV saw a mistake, and the referee could not go to the monitor and change the decision.

Support from football figures

Michał Listkiewicz, former PZPN president and FIFA referees’ committee member, has endorsed the concept of coach‑driven VAR. He suggests each team should have two challenges per half, rather than just one, because one might be spent too early by a nervous coach. He stresses that the final decision must stay with the referee and that public explanations of the review outcome help cool emotions.

The idea is good, I am definitely 'for' introducing VAR on demand for coaches, but the details of how such a solution would work need to be worked out.

Tomasz Kafarski, a former Lechia Gdańsk coach, also backs the proposal, saying it would make football fairer. He believes the change should apply only to top‑flight leagues and major tournaments.

Open letter to PZPN

The letter asks the Polish FA to support the idea at the international level, arguing that players and coaches are the true stakeholders whose interest in the result outweighs that of the officials. It proposes amending the VAR protocol so that each bench can request at least one review per half. "Dziennik Bałtycki" is collecting public opinion on the proposal and encouraging readers to join the debate under the campaign hashtag.