• Against VAR
  • 19 clubs
  • Vålerenga
  • Start
  • Strømsgodset
  • Stabæk
  • Lyn
  • Rosenborg
  • Lillestrøm
  • HamKam
  • Brann
  • Kongsvinger
  • Bryne
  • Sandefjord (EO 06.01.25)
  • Tromsø (EO 08.01.2025)
  • Molde (EO 08.01.2025)
  • Odd (EO 14.01.2025)
  • Haugesund (EO 14.01.2025)
  • Viking (EO 14.01.2025)
  • Skeid
  • Mjøndalen (Vote 20.01.2025)
  • Keep VAR
  • 13 clubs
  • Åsane
  • Sarpsborg 08 (EO 13.01.25)
  • Fredrikstad (EO 27.11.2024)
  • Sogndal
  • Kristiansund
  • Ranheim
  • Moss (the board threatened to resign)
  • Egersund (EO 13.01.2025)
  • Raufoss (board decided)
  • Hødd (EO 20.01.2025)
  • Aalesund
  • KFUM (the board decided 21.01.2025)
  • Bodø/Glimt

Use the democratic channels if you want to do something about VAR, said the NFF. The supporters continued gathering members and registered with the clubs to vote against VAR. In one year, anti-VAR clubs rose from 1 to 10. Another year later later we are counting 19. The supporters and members have made their way through democracy despite being constantly accused of being a threat to democracy and declared the dumbest supporters in the world.

Formally, the board of the Norwegian Football Association can decide on both the introduction and abolition of VAR. VAR was initially introduced over the votes of 16 clubs in Eliteserien and then decided in the NFF board.

Now, the NFF is demanding that the entire Football Council be involved in the decision to reverse it. There are about 1750 member clubs that may cast a vote. This way NFF made the road to abolishing VAR a houndred times longer than it was for them to introduce it. That is democracy to them.

The NFF can still get a majority among grassroots clubs and keep VAR like they want, but it will be extremely unpopular and guaranteed to create a new wave of protests if they go against the majority of the top clubs.

The decisive battle over VAR in Norwegian football is approaching.

Latest update 29th of January 2025:

The NFF board has decided to go against the 19 clubs and move forward with using VAR. The final desicion will be made on the general assembly in March.

Recent international coverage:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/22/norway-on-verge-of-abolishing-var-from-domestic-leagues-after-club-vote

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/43521629/norway-top-flight-clubs-vote-scrap-var-amid-fan-outrage

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/22/norway-on-verge-of-abolishing-var-from-domestic-leagues-after-club-vote

Current standings amongst Eliteserien clubs (using VAR)

11 against VAR, 5 for VAR

Current standings amongst OBOS clubs (2nd tier, not using VAR but included in the NTF)

8 against VAR, 8 for VAR

Current standings amongst clubs that actually have played with VAR

13 against VAR, 6 for VAR

Current standings amongst clubs that have never played with VAR

5 against VAR, 7 for VAR

Upcoming events:

22. January 2025: All clubs in NTF (32) takes vote on their official stance

15. February 2025: NFF will release their official recommendation to the general meeting

1.-2. March 2025: All clubs will vote yes or no to VAR

Simplified timeline

NFF = Norges Fotballforbund, the FA

NTF = Norsk Toppfotball, the union for the top 32 clubs

EO = Ekstraordinært årsmøte, extraordinary general meeting

March 2020.

The NFF annual adopt the Strategy for 2020-2025. Among several action points, two are related to VAR. 

  • “Sammen med toppklubbene og rettighetshaverne vil vi starte en utredning med mål om å etablere VAR i Norge i planperioden.” 
  • “Vurdere å etablere VAR i norsk toppfotball.”

Due to technical language the first point is difficult to translate. Our best effort follows:

«The FA will together with the top clubs and the owners of the media rights start an enquiry with the goal of introducing VAR in Norway within the duration of the plan period». 

The second simply reads «Consider the establishment of VAR in Norwegian professional football»

Note: No enquiery was ever made.

July 2021.

Boycott Qatar-campaign is defeated at FA extraordinary assembly. 

Note: Although the campaign mobilized supporters, I think it is fair to say it also divertet attention away from whatever NFF was doing with VAR at the time.

October 2021.

At a meeting in the League association (Norsk Toppfotball – NTF), the 16 clubs in the top division (Eliteserien) approve the introduction of VAR.

Controversially, the clubs did not consult their own members in the decision, and with no time to arrange a meeting to discuss it. They also received very limited information about what they were voting for. The documentation was merely a few slides of sales pitch. Of the 16 clubs only one voted againt; Lillestrøm.

Supporter protests at several matches, inkluding Strømsgodset – Bodø/Glimt, Vålerenga – Haugesund and Odd – Brann.

November 2021:

NFF board decides to introduce VAR

Frustration among many supporters clubs, but also some apathy due to the fact that the decision has been made.

January-december 2022.

NFF prepare the introduction of VAR. Optimistic officials, active supporters groups and the supporters alliance (Norsk supporterallianse – NSA) remain negative. 

While opposed, the NSA participated in consultations with the aim of making VAR as little intrusive to the experience in stadiums as possible. 

First half of 2023.

VAR is introduced in the top division (Eliteserien) and is also used at the mens and womens cup finals. 

Head of VAR Terje Hauge asks for ten rounds to get up to speed using VAR.

Protests continues and gains momentum as first experience with VAR is negative for many supporters.  The newspaper VG describes the situation as revolt

VAR is now the dominant issue for the norwegian supporters clubs. The introduction of VAR criticised as democracy and lacking in transparency. 

After ten rounds VAR chief Terje Hauge admits some mistakes, and ask for more time again.

Second half of 2023.

Opposition and protests gathers in strength. First signals from the FA for the need of adjustmens. 

Supporters groups plan to file motions at the upcomming annual assemblies of the clubs. Attempts at mobilisation.

Cato Haug, President of Norsk Toppfotball (the union for the 32 top clubs) is quoted in VG:

– We are owned by the clubs, but it’s not like we have to think what 32 clubs think. Then again, it would probably be strange if 32 clubs think one thing and we think something else. This escalates the conflict further.

February 2024.

At the annual assembly of the NSA, the Norwegian supporters’ clubs unanimously support a resolution against VAR.

January – March 2024.

Annual assemblies at the football clubs. Ten out of 32 clubs adopt a clear anti-VAR stance after voting. Several clubs remain neutral or ambiguous. The NSA considers 10 anti, 10 neutral and 12 as formally pro VAR based on decisions at the annual assemblies and responses to direct questions. 

The campaign to end VAR is mainly driven by supporters and members. With the exception of Lillestrøm and to a lesser degree Vålerenga, club officials are hesitant to raise the issue.  

March – July 2024.

VAR chief Terje Hauge says they’ve learned a lot from the first year and that VAR will get better and better.

Protests grow in intensity. Several groups boycott games. The FA and the league association remain silent or rejects attempts to restart the discussion on VAR.

Increasingly frustrated supporters get creative in their attempts to get the issue back on the agenda. Tennis balls are thrown on the pitch on several stadiums, radio cars with smoke is used at some matches. Some matches are temporarily stopped. 

The stated goal of the NSA is to abolish VAR through club democracy. 

21. July 2024. Fish cake gate.

The match between Rosenborg and Lillestrøm is called off following several stops to the game due to items being thrown on the pitch. Famously fish cakes were thrown. 

The protests was coordinated between the to set of supporters. 

The match can be described as a game of chicken, with NFF (the FA) on one side announcing it will go hard on any form of protests that may disturb the game, and a pressure boiler on the terrace where the fans have been overrun for a long time.

Note: Due to increasing protests, the FA had instructed the referee to stop the match if items were thrown and to call it off if it happened three times.

23. July 2024.

Supporters defend the protest. «We have tried everything. VAR was introduced behind our backs. We tried democracy. Meetings, banners, boycotts. Everything is ignored. We are left with no choice when the president of Norsk Toppfotball says they don’t even have to listen to the majority of the clubs that own them.»

NTF president Cato Haug then claims «he’s never said this». Having this excact quote in one of the largest newspapers less than a year back, this escalates things even further and supporters are calling him out as a liar.

25. July 2024.

NFF (the FA) gives a press release stating they want an open and including assessment of VAR in the coming future. Supporters and members call out on this saying no promises are being made at all. The FA merely says they will «listen to affected parts and consider the use of VAR in the next media agreement, in 2029.» Former spokesperson in Norsk Supporterallianse, Bjørnar Posse Sandboe, calls it a bluff. «They want a committee, keep us busy, and then do whatever they want anyway.»

Large parts of the general public got the impression that a process was underway. There were gradually fewer protests that led to interrupted matches.

Shortly speaking: A committee will make a thourough enquiry of VAR, after which the 32 top clubs in NTF will vote yes or no to VAR on January 22, 2025. The result of this will form the basis for NFF’s recommendation (to be announced February 15th) to the Football Parliament at the beginning of March 2025.

27. July 2024.

VAR seemingly makes a huge mistake and disallowes an overtime winner in the match between KFUM and Bodø/Glimt. VAR chief Svein-Oddvar Moen defends VAR the day after and states a «not even marginal 35,5 cm offside». 3 days later NSA spokesperson Sandboe shows images to FA president Lise Klaveness, general secretary Karl-Petter Løken and NTF president Cato haug, stating that this can absolutely not be true. VAR forgot to draw vertical lines on the attacker.

Fueled by this, said former NSA spokesperson Sandboe (who is also a TV cameraman with many years of experence) visits the VAR room to try for himself. Replay Operator draws offside at 3,5 cm, then 4 but there is some debate on what frame they chose. One frame back, when the ball is played, the attacker is onside.

21. August 2024.

Big read in inews UK.

28. August 2024.

About a month after the debated offside, VAR chief Moen says VAR will no longer interfere with marginal offsides, but claims the disallowed goal to be a correct desicion. It is now 5 cm offside, he says. He also says that he wishes people would gain more knowledge about VAR.

6. September 2024.

The TV worker and fed up former NSA spokesperson Sandboe writes an extensive report of the technology and error margins of VAR (english in link). A lot of this is based on technology that were also present in 2021, meaning the FA would have known about it if they had only done the enquiery.

14. October 2024.

Former VAR chief, now head of the refs Terje Hauge states that VAR has reduced its time spent on calling a decision by 35 seconds. This is denied by the NSA, because VAR does not count the time from the moment the situation arises, but from the time the players stand and wait for the game to start. This leaves out a large, unknown variable. This is one of many controversial moves by VAR, where VAR itself declares that it has improved.

20. November 2024.

The VAR report is released. It is widely debated, especially because the committee were divided in the claim that the refs precision has gone from 86% to 97%. This is perceived by many as a constructed calculation to make VAR look good. The calculation only considers situations where VAR intervenes, and gives itself points even when VAR is wrong. Based on how many decisions a referee makes in a match, one can calculate that the referees’ accuracy increases by a maximum of 0.11 percentage points.

The costs of improving or developing VAR have also been mapped. The figures show that VAR will become more than twice as expensive, up to 5 times as expensive, if more cameras and more technology are used. NFF says it is now up to the clubs to decide for themselves.

27. November 2024.

Fredrikstad FK votes yes to VAR. Secretary General Karl-Petter Løken surprisingly appears at the annual meeting and shows video of situations that have gone against Fredrikstad, despite the fact that the NFF had said they would let the clubs decide this in peace. This provokes many.

6. January 2025.

Sandefjord turns from pro-VAR to anti-VAR.

7. January 2025.

Bodø/Glimt (up until now anti-VAR after general assembly in March 2024) is causing a stir when they call an extraordinary annual meeting at the shortest possible notice, in addition to only holding the meeting physically in Bodø un a Tuesday. A member of the control committee and former chairman, whose actual task is to check that the club follows up on previous decisions, has instead spent his time collecting signatures to hold a new annual meeting and turn the club around. There was a major media coverage.

8. January 2025.

Tromsø and Molde FK turns from pro-VAR to anti-VAR. Moss FK voted yes to VAR after the board threatened to resign just before the vote if the members voted no. This created big headlines.

10. January 2025.

It is revealed that the management in Bodø/Glimt tried to pressure their 3 supporter clubs to agree to have an annual meeting that is both physical and digital, in exchange for them never protesting this again. New headlines in the media.

13. January 2025.

Sarpsborg 08, home club of NTF president Cato Haug, votes yes to VAR.

14. January 2025.

General meetings in Viking, Odd and Haugesund all vote to abolish VAR. 18 of 32 clubs have now decided to say no to VAR. This means that VAR cannot get a majority at the owners’ meeting in NTF on January 22. But as previously mentioned, there is no guarantee that the NTF board will follow this, and there is also no guarantee that the NFF will follow the recommendation. They have only said that the clubs’ views will «weigh heavily».

16. January 2025.

Skeid says no to VAR. Members vote and the board follows up.

Eliteserien referee Rohit Saggi writes on Linkedin that the people sending him hate and racist messages are «the same people» as the members that vote no to VAR. He apologizes soon after.

Raufoss says yes to VAR. Decision by the board, no vote.

20. January 2025.

KFUM board says yes to VAR, but asks for an evaluation/enquiery in 2027. An enquiery was just made and published by the NFF, but KFUM wants a new one in a few years. Board member in KFUM Kjersti Løken Stavrum is the sister of secretary general in NFF Karl Petter Løken, who ordered the report.

21. January 2025.

Bodø/Glimt votes yes to VAR. Club president Inge Henning Andersen (who is also second in command in NTF) scares the audience with hypotheses that «nothing in The Sports Act prevents authoritarian forces from taking over the club». However, it is quite clear in the legislation that the board can deny membership in special cases. «We know that there are regimes that want sports washing«, he says, before saying that he feels the club was couped in the boycott discussion about the Qatar World Cup. Back then, the members voted against Norway participating in sports washing, against Andersen and the rest of the management who wanted to participate. How it is possible to make these two talking points right after each other is astonishing.

Andersen and the management lost the vote on boycott 46-14 at that time, after he reluctantly had to remove 4 people who were employed by the club and thus could not vote.

The Sports Act can be practical to know, should you find yourself an elected leader in the sport.