During the 2023-2024 ISL and I-League seasons, there were 24 disputed decisions across 11 matches.
The Indian Super League (ISL) has not yet implemented the video assistant referee (VAR) system, despite the refereeing errors occurring in the league.
According to the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), a total of “24 controversial key match incidents” happened in seven matches of ISL and four matches of the I-League from the start of the 2023-2024 season.
Aslam Ahamed Khan, Deputy Secretary of Karnataka State Football Association said, “The referees are selected mainly based on exams rather than their skill. However, implementing VAR and appointing experienced coaches can make a difference in the number of human errors.”
Carles Cuadrat, head coach of East Bengal said in a news report that the East Bengal team experienced wrong refereeing decisions three times in five games. Bringing back foreign referees and implementing VAR will improve the refereeing quality, he suggested.
ISL followers say that VAR and foreign referees are the only way to improve the accuracy of refereeing. Vishnu Madhavan, an ISL follower said, “Most of the referees in ISL make mistakes which will lead to teams losing matches. India is far behind the world in terms of football, to make the league better, ISL should introduce VAR or at least foreign referees who have experience.”
Thejus Dixon, an ISL follower said, “Refereeing mistakes kills the spirit of the game. As a Kerala Blasters fan, I am saying that Kerala Blasters have suffered a lot because of the wrong decisions made by referees. Blasters lost last season’s semifinal to Bengaluru FC due to bad refereeing. Like sacking coaches, ISL should sack referees for bad decisions because it costs more than just matches.”
However, Nikhil Dominic, a Bengaluru FC fan said, “What happened in the previous year semi-final was a quick free kick, but I too agree that the ISL referees are not up to the mark. I have seen referees making errors during crucial matches which result in teams losing points.”
According to the AIFF, the executive committee said that it may be possible to implement VAR in the next ISL season. However, AIFF will not bear any cost associated with its implementation. Further discussions regarding the implementation of VAR are scheduled for May.
