Mehmet Ali İçbay

Who is being addressed now? Establishing recipiency in video assistant referee (VAR) protocols

Abstract This article examines how video assistant referees (VARs) and on-field referees (REFs) establish recipiency in headset-mediated communication during professional football matches. A VAR is part of an off-field video review team that monitors the broadcast feed and can re...

Ending the VAR protocol: How referee joint decisions become final in football

This study explores how Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocols are closed in professional football. Drawing on 107 recordings released by the Turkish Football Federation in 2024–2025, it uses ethnomethodology and conversation analysis to investigate how referees and VAR official...