VAR Failureโข Disrupts Chilean Premier League Match in Iquique
Iquique,Chile โ- A technical malfunction caused a significantโค disruption during theโ Chilean Premier League match between Deportes Iquique and La โคSerena on October 31,2025,as the Video Assistant Refereeโ (VAR) system unexpectedly โคceased functioning for tenโค minutes. The incident occurred shortly after a stoppage-time goal by Edson Puch, raising questions about the integrity of officiating during a critical period of the game.
Referee Cristian Galaz attempted to initiate a VAR review in the 80th minuteโข butโ received โno response from the system. After a prolonged delay, he opted to continue the โmatch. VAR โfunctionality was restored at the 89th minute,but a crucial ten-minute stretch unfolded without the benefit of video review. โThis โขraises concerns about โฃpotential missed calls and their impact on the final outcome, notably in a league increasingly reliant on โVAR for accurate decision-making.
The โคincident โhighlights the vulnerabilities of relying on technology in live sporting events and prompts a review โof backup protocols for VAR systems within the Chilean Premier League.While the technology was ultimately restored, theโค temporary outage underscores โthe needโ for robust contingency plans to ensure fair play andโฃ maintain confidence in officiating.