The Danish Super League entrusts its VAR to NEP and EVS

Each EVS multi-camera review system supports up to 16 cameras, including Super Motion cameras, and allows instant access to all camera angles during a match.

The assisted video arbitration solution Beach of EVS has been chosen by NEP Denmark to provide the service of VAR in the Danish Superliga. Built on EVS standard replay technology, the system has been implemented since the start of the season and will be used in all matches in the 2020/2021 season.

The rollout is being managed locally by NEP Denmark, a long-standing EVS partner that has extensive experience in producing live coverage of Danish football. For this project, NEP is deploying bespoke mobile VAR units, each equipped with a Xeebra.

Every EVS multi-camera review system supports up to 16 cameras, including Super Motion cameras, and allows instant access to all camera angles during a match. This setup allows the VAR, VAR assistant and replay operator, who are all stationed on site, to accurately assist the field official in his decisions.

With Xeebra, they can easily review any match action and select the most relevant camera angles by simply pinching on the image allowing them to zoom in and analyze each angle in detail. The solution provides officers with everything they need to make the right decision, meaning reviews can be completed quickly, efficiently and in complete sync.

Virtual offside line

As part of the Xeebra rollout, EVS is also supplying its AI-powered virtual offside line, which is certified by FIFA, to automatically calibrate the playing field and produce a virtual offside line en tiempo real. Utilizando esta funcionalidad, los operadores VAR de la 3F Superliga pueden añadir rápidamente una línea de fuera de juego, lo que les permite revisar las posiciones de los jugadores con la seguridad de que están obteniendo los más altos niveles de precisión.

La línea de fuera de juego virtual de EVS no requiere ninguna configuración compleja o que requiera mucho tiempo antes del partido y no requiere un operador adicional. Como resultado, el operador de repetición de Xeebra tiene fácil acceso a todas las herramientas necesarias para ayudar al VAR de forma rápida y eficiente.

Desde que se seleccionó a Xeebra como sistema oficial de VAR, tanto la Liga Danesa como la NEP han organizado extensos entrenamientos de acuerdo con el protocolo IFAB/FIFA para los oficiales de la Superliga 3F y los operadores de repetición. Se utilizó una combinación de entrenamiento teórico, entrenamiento en simulador y entrenamiento práctico utilizando el sistema Xeebra.

François Gillet, especialista en soluciones de EVS, comenta que “la naturaleza intuitiva del Xeebra permite que los operadores de repetición se suban a bordo muy rápidamente, mientras que su diseño fácil de usar significa que puede ser utilizado por operadores menos experimentados en comparación con otros sistemas de VAR”.

Henrik Borup Sørensen, Managing Director of NEP Denmark adds that "the collaboration with EVS has been very useful, as their team intervenes proactively when necessary. And the Xeebra system is quick to deploy and easy to manage thanks to its user-friendly interface, not to mention that the system is stable like other EVS solutions."

Claus Thomsen, CEO of the Danish League, concludes by stating that "VAR is a game-changing technology and its efficient implementation requires some investment. EVS's will develop next season.”