Controversy arises at the 2025 National Volleyball Championship

The Video Challenge Eyes system in phase 2 of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship is facing issues amid the tense semifinal games.

The Video Challenge Eyes system was expected to enhance transparency and accuracy in officiating at the 2025 National Volleyball Championship. However, in recent days, this technology has sparked considerable debate.

A notable incident occurred during the women's semifinal match between Thông tin - Đông Bắc and LPB Ninh Bình on the evening of October 13. At several points, the camera signals were interrupted and failed to transmit to the central control desk.

When the team requested a challenge review, the technical staff could not provide the footage, forcing the head referee to make decisions based solely on on-court observation. This caused frustration among coaches and fans since the match was crucial and directly impacted the final qualification.

Not only in the women's category, the men's semifinal between Thể Công Tân Cảng and Công an TP.HCM also experienced a similar problem. When Thể Công Tân Cảng requested a replay, the technical team mistakenly showed the wrong footage, causing a delay of several minutes. The correct video was shown afterward to meet the team's request.

Previously, during multiple group stage matches, the “eye of the referee” system also showed instability, especially when signals from one or more cameras were lost. These technical failures affected the match flow and undermined fairness—an element that Video Challenge is supposed to guarantee.

A representative from the organizing committee stated that the entire system will be thoroughly checked and calibrated before the two final matches. Given the high-stakes nature of these games, where every point can determine the outcome, smooth operation of the technology is highly anticipated by teams, coaches, and spectators alike.