Since video assisted review debuted on an international scale at the 2018 World Cup, there have been concerns about its effectiveness, misuse, and impact on the length of the 90-minute game as leagues around the world have rushed to adopt the technology.
Major League Soccer was one of the first leagues to use VAR as a supplement to human referees starting in Week 22 of the 2017 MLS season. Its early adoption meant it has been looked upon as a role model by FIFA and other leagues. And now, two years and hundreds of reviews later, MLS deputy commissioner Mark Abbott says VAR has been a “tremendous success” for soccer in the U.