| TECHNOLOGICAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL EQUALITY IN FOOTBALL: THE CASE OF VAR IMPLEMENTATION IN IRAN |
| Paper ID : 1725-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
|
Alireza Tarkhan *1, مرتضی طاهری2, سید پویا رسولی نژاد2, امیر عباسقلی پور2 1University of mazandaran 2دانشگاه تهران |
| Abstract |
| The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in Iranian football represents not merely a technical adjustment in refereeing but a profound transformation in the structure of justice, legitimacy, and perceived social equality among the main actors of the game—referees, coaches, and players. The present study aimed to analyze the experience of technological justice and its dual consequences in Iranian football using a qualitative method and a thematic analysis approach. The research population included referees, coaches, veterans, analysts, and university scholars in related fields, from whom 20 participants were purposefully selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase thematic analysis method. Findings revealed that while VAR has strengthened procedural justice and reduced refereeing errors, its limited and unequal implementation across stadiums has itself become a form of institutional inequality within Iranian football. This situation has created a dual experience of justice: on one hand, trust in technological refereeing has increased; on the other, unequal access to technology and variations in training and equipment quality have reinforced a sense of injustice among players and fans. Participants also referred to “technological pressure” and the “reduction of human referee authority” as cultural challenges of technological justice. Overall, technological justice in Iran remains partial and incomplete, as technical justice without structural, cultural, and communicative equity cannot lead to sustainable social justice. Therefore, institutionalizing technological justice in Iranian football requires equal infrastructure development, comprehensive training, media transparency, and public explanation of refereeing processes. |
| Keywords |
| Technological Justice; Institutional Inequality; Video Assistant Referee (VAR); Procedural Justice; Refereeing Legitimacy; Iranian Football |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
