VAR Full Coverage in China League One: Urgent? Extremely Urgent! Feasible? Absolutely Feasible!

As a national congress delegate and investor of Shijiazhuang Kungfu, Zhai Zhihai has submitted proposals for the full implementation of VAR in China League One at the National People's Congress meetings for two consecutive years. Zhai's persistent advocacy reflects the shared voice of investors in secondary leagues and highlights the severe state of officiating in these leagues. Especially against the backdrop of the Scottish Premier League achieving full VAR coverage in 2026, the urgency and priority of VAR full coverage for China League One, as China's second-tier professional league, must be significantly elevated.

From the start of the new season, the first four rounds of referee assessments by the Chinese Football Association identified 16 incorrect or missed calls, with 7 occurring in China League One. Additionally, 3 controversial calls in League One could not be verified due to insufficient video evidence and were upheld as "not recognized." There are even more controversial calls in League One not included in the assessments. All 7 incorrect/missed calls were related to potential goals, including possible red cards and penalty retakes, greatly affecting or even determining match outcomes.

More critically, in the first 5 rounds of this season, incorrect/missed calls and unresolved "unverified" controversial calls due to lack of VAR in League One reached 10 instances, averaging 2 per round. In the 2025 season, across 32 rounds of referee assessments, League One had 31 incorrect/missed calls, plus 14 controversial calls "not recognized" due to insufficient video evidence, averaging 1.5 incorrect/missed or unverified calls per round. This season's first 5 rounds show a 40% increase over last season's average, a truly alarming situation.

As China's second-tier professional league, the absence of VAR has become the biggest credibility crisis for China League One. Relevant studies indicate VAR can reduce incorrect/missed calls in professional leagues by approximately 60%. The Chinese Super League, with full VAR coverage, still has errors, but league credibility has noticeably improved compared to before. The significant reduction in obvious errors has objectively enhanced fairness. The increasing attendance and rising commercial value of the CSL in recent years are directly related to the relatively fair environment brought by VAR.

Relevant governing bodies are also making efforts. The 2025 season piloted VAR in League One and League Two, covering no fewer than 30 matches. The 2026 season should see more matches using VAR, but at least in the first 5 rounds of League One, fairness in officiating still relies solely on referees' on-field judgment. However, with the continuous emergence of major incorrect/missed calls in League One referee assessments, the urgency for VAR in League One is stronger than ever.

In contrast to the Scottish Premier League achieving full VAR coverage in 2026, implementing full VAR coverage in China League One now has a blueprint to follow regarding costs, technology, and talent shortages, making its feasibility more assured. In 2026, a VAR revolution for League One is already confronting its 15 stadiums.