UEFA has launched "Clear Line," a new database of refereeing situations designed to bring greater clarity, consistency and transparency to decision-making in European football. The platform is available at uefa.com/clearline.
The heads of refereeing from all UEFA member federations have backed Clear Line as the reference framework for applying refereeing decisions and VAR interventions consistently, both in domestic leagues and in European competitions.
The launch comes just days before a new league season kicks off, one that could be shaped by a fresh set of refereeing rules. New regulations covering time-wasting, yellow cards for covering the mouth, and reviews for mistaken identity are set to apply in league competition, mirroring changes already introduced at the World Cup.
How Clear Line works
Clear Line brings together more than 150 refereeing situations and offers detailed guidance on how the Laws of the Game should be interpreted, and on when VAR should and should not intervene in specific scenarios, across both domestic and UEFA competitions.
The platform reinforces one of the core principles of the VAR protocol: that video review should only be used in cases of clear and obvious errors. By making the resource available to referees, players, coaches, commentators and fans across Europe, UEFA aims to improve understanding of refereeing decisions and encourage more uniform application of the Laws of the Game.
Through a wide range of videos and visual explanations, Clear Line offers insight into the reasoning behind decisions in many of the game's most complex and controversial situations. UEFA said the platform will keep evolving over time and will be updated whenever new situations arise or greater clarification is needed on specific cases.
Rosetti on the new tool
UEFA's Director of Refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, said Clear Line was designed to give clear and precise guidance to referees across European football, helping to ensure greater consistency in decision-making across all competitions and a more standardised approach to VAR for the benefit of the sport.
Rosetti said that although no two incidents are identical and occasional mistakes remain inevitable, Clear Line would serve as a central reference point for players, coaches, commentators and fans, helping to explain the reasoning behind refereeing decisions and fostering a better understanding of the decision-making process.
