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