Only two goals overturned by VAR in Championship history
Only two goals have ever been overturned by VAR in the Championship, with one such decision having a significant impact on Sheffield United in the 2025 play-off final.
The disappointment of a goal being disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR) was felt profoundly by Sheffield United supporters on 24 May 2025.
Since then, Sunderland have enjoyed a successful return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence, but the outcome could have been very different for the Black Cats.
When Sheffield United took a 2-0 lead against Sunderland through Harrison Burrows in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last season, they appeared to be comfortably advancing to the top flight.
However, VAR intervened for the only time in the campaign to disallow the goal for offside, with Vinicius Souza judged to be obstructing goalkeeper Anthony Patterson's line of sight.
"I don't think the goalkeeper saves it, I don't think he gets anywhere near it," Blades manager Chris Wilder lamented at the time.
"We've played 46 games, two play-off games and all of a sudden it's a subjective [VAR] decision."
Sunderland mounted a dramatic comeback, scoring two goals in the final 20 minutes to win 2-1 and secure promotion. Without VAR, Regis Le Bris' side might still be competing in the second tier.
VAR is not used during the Championship regular season and has only been implemented for the play-off final since 2022.
However, with several controversial refereeing decisions occurring in the 2025-26 season, some managers have advocated for the technology's introduction in every league game.
examines whether VAR should be adopted throughout the Championship.
'I'm not a fan of VAR... but it would make games fairer'
Former Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber has publicly called for VAR to be introduced in the Championship.
Recently dismissed Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber encapsulated the dilemma facing English football when he stated he is "not a fan" of VAR but believes match outcomes would be "fairer" if it were used.
This reflects the ongoing tension since VAR's introduction in the Premier League in 2019, despite a recent Football Supporters Association survey showing 75% of 8,000 fans oppose VAR in the top flight.
The question remains: is it preferable to enjoy the excitement of goal celebrations without the risk of retrospective disallowance, or is the availability of video technology too important to disregard?
Struber is among three Championship managers who have publicly supported VAR, advocating for it after Bristol City had a late equaliser controversially ruled out for offside in their 1-0 loss to Millwall in December.
"I am not a fan of VAR but this shows us the many signs that with VAR the decisions are better and more fair," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.
"We should do everything for more fairness. The Championship is one of the most attractive, interesting and dynamic leagues in the whole world and I would say this would deserve VAR.
"In many other countries, much lower league levels have VAR and also many other coaches want to have VAR in the near future."
Former Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael also supports VAR, describing the need for the technology as "urgent" to prevent "embarrassing decisions week in, week out."
In February, Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic strongly advocated for VAR after the Tigers conceded a "clearly offside" goal in their 4-2 victory over Derby, claiming all Championship managers support VAR.
"This is why I am always calling for VAR," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside regarding Craig Forsyth scoring from an offside position.
"I know you can't see it but it's changing momentum on the pitch. I ask all the time and I know all the managers in this league agree with me."
'VAR kills the atmosphere in stadiums'
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has experience managing in the Premier League with VAR and in the Championship without it.
Jakirovic's assertion that all Championship managers support VAR may not be entirely accurate.
Although Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom expressed that he is a "fan of VAR" because it could have helped his team win "so many games," he was critical of its impact on supporters.
"All VAR does is bring another person into it who doesn't deserve to be in the game, knows nothing about football and it kills the atmosphere in stadiums," Heckingbottom said after a 1-0 loss to Birmingham City in October.
In that match, Heckingbottom claimed Birmingham defender Phil Neumann "scored with his hand." Replays showed the ball struck Neumann's arm on the way in, and had VAR been in use, the goal would likely have been disallowed.
"This is my point, it is just not good enough," Heckingbottom stated. "These incidents are just rife among football and this is supposedly the fifth best league in the world."
He also admitted: "I hate VAR as a fan."
Heckingbottom is a notable reference point, having managed Sheffield United in the Premier League briefly in 2021 and again between August and December 2023.
"I've experienced it and it is an issue for the teams that go up," he said. "All of a sudden it's almost like we're playing a different game in the Championship to the Premier League.
"As a product, most fans would like to see a lot more of what goes off in the Championship than the Premier League."
Derby County head coach John Eustace also expressed concern that introducing VAR might reduce the physicality and competitiveness that characterize football as "the best game in the world."
"I think in the Premier League obviously you can't get away with as much because of VAR," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby in February.
"In the Championship, I think it's always been going on [physical challenges] and it's probably just not highlighted as much because we haven't got the equipment to highlight it.
"We don't want to take that physicality out of the game, we want it to be competitive. We want to see two teams at it, being aggressive. We can't have a soft game."
'Football is theatre, not a science' - what fans say
The majority of readers oppose the introduction of VAR in the Championship.
If the decision to introduce VAR in the Championship were left to readers, the result would be a decisive rejection, with 82% voting against it.
Of 815 respondents, 667 opposed VAR, 88 supported it, and 60 preferred the technology but not in its current Premier League implementation.
Many supporters of clubs that have competed in both the Premier League with VAR and the Championship without it expressed a preference for the live fan experience without technology.
"Football is not life or death, it's a form of entertainment," said EFL follower Henry Dalton-Stone.
"Fans are half the product and when goals get ruled out in hindsight it is killing the spectacle.
"Embrace human refereeing and its flaws - it's better than scoring a goal, the stadium erupting, then the goal being cancelled for a toe offside.
"Football is theatre, not a science."
Here are some selected fan views:
Sam, Sheffield United fan: The use of VAR in the Championship play-off final last season was a sporting tragedy beyond comprehension.
It took away a piece of football's soul and the integrity of the entire Championship competition.
Gone was that joyous shared spontaneity of celebrating a goal at Wembley with family and friends, celebrations that mean more on that occasion than at any other game.
The EFL got it wrong by having VAR in a one off all-important game that day and they need to steer well clear of introducing it to the regular season so that fans can actually continue to enjoy the product on offer.
Sam, Coventry fan: It's the one thing I'm dreading for next season assuming we don't throw away promotion from the position we're in.
Already experienced heartache because of VAR when we were denied arguably the most famous FA Cup comeback victory of all time by a dodgy offside call against Man United in 2024.
I don't expect us to last long in the Premier League if we get there and when we do eventually come back down, I will look forward to not having five-minute waits for a marginal decision sucking all emotion out of the game.
Ray, Ipswich fan: VAR is unnecessarily invasive and does far more than was initially intended.
However, due to the inexperience and lack of quality in the Championship referees and the totally unacceptable performances of the officials at recent Ipswich Town matches, VAR must be introduced as soon as possible, but with the caveat of being used as was originally intended, for the resolution of penalty incidents.
Steve, Millwall fan: If you had asked this before 14 March, I would have said no, but the refereeing at Millwall-Blackburn was so bad it makes me think it is needed.
I wouldn't take the Premier League version, but I would like a watered down version, where a club has three challenges each. This would be just for goals, penalties and red cards including second yellow and off the ball incidents.
James, Middlesbrough fan: Given the fine margins that teams can be promoted on, we must have VAR in the Championship. Middlesbrough were promoted only on goal difference back in 2016.
The idea that a team misses out on a 30m prize of promotion because a referee made a stupid but honest mistake is a distinct reality.
And nothing says we can't improve/speed up VAR in the meantime. Remember that it tends to get more decisions right than non-VAR games.
Ryan, Southampton fan: Having been relegated with Saints and VAR delaying games, goals and celebrations, it is so much more enjoyable being back in Championship where you just take the game and decisions at the time.
You probably get some bad ones and good ones but to be honest I don't even notice. I would rather that than it being done by "VAR" and still being wrong and causing more issues than it resolves.
Could technology be introduced in the Championship?
The first goal disallowed by VAR in the Championship—and only one of two ever ruled out in the second tier—occurred in the 2023 play-off final when Joe Taylor's effort for Luton against Coventry was ruled out for handball.
Introducing VAR in the Championship involves complex considerations similar to those faced in the Premier League.
Challenges include upgrading all 24 stadiums with necessary cameras and technology, expanding the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) pool to meet demand, and addressing the financial impact on clubs.
The English Football League (EFL) states that the introduction of additional technology is under constant review and has been discussed directly with all clubs.
Part of these discussions includes the International Football Association Board's (Ifab) Football Video Support (FVS) system, which allows coaches two challenges per match and is currently trialled in Italy, Malta, and Spain.
Other factors under consideration include the potential effect on decision accuracy, infrastructure requirements, impact on match-going supporters, and broadcasters.
Ultimately, any further use of technology in the Championship would require approval from a majority of the league's clubs.
