This is what VAR sounds like in Spanish women’s football

This week the referees of F League taking advantage of the break in the competition due to the window of the national team and in the case of Spain due to the recent dispute in the final stage of League of Nations.

And among the many aspects that will be discussed is the ongoing work on VAR; even the top women’s competition does not currently have this technology. It doesn’t have it’s second season as a professional league and initially it doesn’t look like it will have it next season 2024-2025.

In the meeting, they review the plays from the last Spanish Super Cup held in Madrid at the end of January. A competition with this technology at the time, taking advantage of the fact that it was held at the Second Division Butarque Stadium. Facilities with VAR technology installed. This is the second edition they have used despite not being in regular competition. An absence explained, as we have already said in MD; due to the fact that the clubs must bear the cost of implementing this technology in the stadiums.

Among the plays scrutinized was the penalty in the second semi-final between Atlético de Madrid and Levante with a penalty awarded by referee Ainara Acevedo at the request of VAR, which was taken by Ylena Sánchez that day. Specifically, the demolition of the red and white player Mayra Ramirez in the Valencian team Andrea Medina.

“Wait, Ainara, please, for me it’s a penalty” was heard in the VOR room as the referee told the players that “everything has to be checked just in case.”

Then they called the monitor from the VOR room: “Ainara, I recommend that you go to the monitor to see him. What you will see is that he never touches the ball, he does not touch the ball at any time. .” Whereupon the referee from the monitor requested “can you show me this from the other camera.” Then from the VOR room, Ylena insists: “Do you see there that he never moves the ball?”

It was then that Ainara from the monitor decided: “ok, it hit him in the ankle.. Final decision: penalty, interference in the dispute without a card because it was a promising attack with misunderstanding.”

Ainara admits that it felt great to get it right, to not go home with the mistake and to be fair on the field and was able to award this penalty so clearly. I’m glad Ylena called me.” This is the second time the referee has acted with VAR but his first intervention.

In the case of Ylena, he expressed that at the moment of the intervention “you want to go through everything frame by frame, make sure the intervention you do is correct. And the moment you do it, and when we see that the intervention is “Well, let’s breathe a little more”