EVS, Broadcast Solutions Establish VAR Kick-Off to Certify Officials

Broadcast Solutions and EVS announced today the launch of the VAR Kick-off Pack, a turnkey system specifically designed for federations and football associations starting their Video Assistant Referee (VAR) journey. The VAR Kick-off Pack includes a full-featured EVS Xeebra multi-camera review system for video refereeing football matches as well as a simulator and an optional set of cameras to train Video Assistant Referees and Replay Operators.

“Many football associations face a double challenge: not only do they have to start their VAR journey with FIFA, but they also need to urgently certify their referees for international competitions,” explains Nicolas Hans, partner at Broadcast Solutions Africa and Middle East. “That’s why we’ve designed in partnership with EVS this turnkey pack which includes both technology and training.”

The VAR Kick-off Pack comes standard with training and coaching services to help federations bootstrap their Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme (IAAP) as defined by FIFA and IFAB. The system ships in six flight cases: two racks of active equipment and four trunks for logistics. The two racks power the Video Operation Room (VOR) and the Referee Review Area (RRA). The RRA rack is deployed next to the pitch and feeds a monitor for on-field reviews by the referee. It also connects the wireless Intercom of field officials to the one used by video referees. The RRA is connected to the Video Operation Room where EVS Xeebra servers record camera feeds and make these available for review.

“EVS Xeebra is unique in that it’s a single turnkey solution that meets FIFA Quality Programmes for both video assistant referee technology and virtual offside line detection,” explains Nicolas Bourdon, Chief Marketing Officer at EVS. “It’s a showcase of our commitment to FIFA standards.”
The Broadcast Solutions VAR Kick-off Pack is modular: it comes with a set of cameras that can be deployed around the pitch and connected to the RRA during training sessions; It includes one or more EVS Xeebra servers to meet the requirements of host broadcasters during competitions; It is available on-demand and can be shipped and delivered in as little as 100 days.