UEFA Rules Out VAR Reviews For Diving Under Mistaken Identity Law

UEFA has instructed its video assistant referees (VAR) not to use the new mistaken identity law to punish simulation, distancing itself from an interpretation that sparked debate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The directive was issued to officials ahead of the opening qualifying rounds of this season’s European competitions after concerns emerged over how the revised VAR protocol had been applied in the tournament.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) introduced a change this summer allowing VAR to intervene when a referee wrongly identifies the player who committed an offence, including changing a yellow or red card.

The law was used twice during the World Cup. United States defender Tim Ream initially received a yellow card before VAR concluded Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron had dived, leading to the caution being rescinded.

The issue drew greater attention in Switzerland’s quarter-final defeat to Argentina. Breel Embolo, already on a booking, was shown a second yellow card and sent off after a VAR review concluded he had initiated the contact that led to Leandro Paredes being booked. Switzerland had just levelled at 1-1 before eventually losing 3-1 after extra time.

UEFA has now made its position clear. It considers mistaken identity to be a factual decision that does not require an on-field review, whereas changing a foul into a simulation is subjective and requires the referee to consult the pitchside monitor. For that reason, the governing body does not regard simulation as mistaken identity.

UEFA’s head referees from its 54 member associations will meet next week to discuss VAR, with mistaken identity expected to feature prominently. NEWSNGR gathered that domestic leagues across Europe are also likely to adopt UEFA’s interpretation.