VAR Training: Advancing Referee Technology in OFC

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VAR OFC
Image Credit: OFC via SAFF

Three Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) representatives have completed an educational training seminar in Saudi Arabia on Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) technology. The trip comes as the Confederation continues to implement VAR as part of its continental upgrades before the OFC Professional League kicks off in January 2026.

OFC VAR Project Manager, Mihaly Fabian was joined by instructors Jamie Cross and Nick Waldron as they sought to improve their knowledge on VAR to streamline the OFC’s adoption of the technology.

Training on VAR began with the instructors watching how VAR was used across a number of Saudi League matches in Riyadh. The trio then attended seminars in Gassim for referees and VAR Officials designed for Saudi Arabia’s top two divisions, the Roshn Saudi League and Yelo Saudi League.

As the week progressed the instructors first participated in a Yelo Saudi League seminar, discussing post-match analysis. Finally, the team attended a Roshn Saudi League seminar to understand how VAR is utilised at the highest levels of play. Both sessions covered critical topics such as handballs, penalties, offsides and general VAR procedures.

OFC Head of Refereeing, Kevin Stoltenkamp underlined the significance of the seminars for the Confederation as a whole.

“Providing our match officials with exposure to high-level VAR environments is crucial. This experience will accelerate their development and support OFC’s implementation of VAR across Oceania,” he said via press release.

Upon returning to the Confederation, Fabian expressed his gratitude for the opportunity.

“We were fortunate to learn from some of the best VAR instructors in the world. We would like to make a special thank you to Manuel Navarro, Farkhad Abdullaev, Hakan Anaz and Ali Altraifi,” he said in a press release.

“SAFF’s (Saudi Arabian Football Federation) incredible hospitality and willingness to share knowledge made this an invaluable experience. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a strong, long-term collaboration between OFC and SAFF.”

The Oceania Football Confederation will continue to work to roll out VAR across the Confederation as it progresses through stage three of FIFA’s Implementation Assistant and Approval Programme (IAAP).

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Football Victoria Teams Up with New Balance and Belgravia Apparel

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Image credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria (FV) has confirmed a four-year collaboration with global athletic brand New Balance, with Belgravia Apparel joining as FV’s Official Technical Apparel Partner.

Since 1906, New Balance has been an independent brand known for inspiring individuals through sport and quality craftsmanship, while driving positive change globally.

Under the new collaboration, New Balance will provide uniforms and playing kits for FV’s staff, Academy programs, and representative teams starting in 2026.

Belgravia Apparel, New Balance’s elite teamwear partner in Australasia, provides supporter and performance gear to a wide range of professional and amateur sporting organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Through this deal, FV Academy and State/Regional representative players will wear high-performance kits engineered for reduced drag, greater mobility, and all-90-minute comfort, featuring Quick-Dry technology.

Building on their footprint in Victorian football, New Balance will also take on naming rights for the Dockerty Cup, the state’s most historic and prestigious men’s football competition.

Football Victoria CEO, Dan Birrell highlighted the significance of the agreement and the impact it will have across the state’s football community.

“Belgravia Apparel has long supported football in Victoria and we’re excited to see our staff, Academy teams and representative squads wearing New Balance from 2026,” he said via FV media release.

“New Balance has a strong global football connection and we’re pleased to be a new chapter in that story, here in Victoria.”

New Balance Australia Regional General Manager, Dean Howard emphasised the brand’s commitment to supporting athletes at all levels.

“At New Balance, our job is to aid athletes in their pursuit of excellence, whether that means helping professional athletes win medals, or propelling the community to live a healthy and active lifestyle,” he said via press release.

“In partnership with Belgravia Apparel, we are proud to partner with Football Victoria and look forward to seeing the partnership come to life over the next four years.”

New Balance will contribute to the FV community by sponsoring a $1,000 voucher for the Community Person of the Year award at the 2026 FV Gala.

The AI platform protecting footballers in Oceania from online abuse

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Image credit: Yalcin Sonat / Shutterstock.com

The Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) has now adopted the use of AI platform, Respondology, following FIFA’s decision to make the platform free for all Member Associations. 

The move is a significant step towards protecting players’ wellbeing in Oceania, and helps to keep the online football community a protected place for all. 

What is Respondology?

Respondology is an AI platform designed to prevent harmful or abusive comments on social media. After seeing hateful comments aimed towards Serena Williams during the 2019 US Open, its founders felt that technology should be used to protect everyone in the online space. 

The platform detects harmful language, discrimination or harassment across multiple online platforms and automatically removes them. Respondology scans comments as soon as they are posted, acting as a protective shield before any abuse can reach public visibility. 

Co-Founder and CEO, Erik Swain made it clear that combating online hate isn’t just a feature, it’s a responsibility.

“If the technology now exists to mute racism, anti-LGBTQ slurs and generally hateful abuse online, then we have a responsibility to do just that,” he said via Official website.

Respondology in Sport 

European footballing giants Manchester United, Arsenal and Ajax all use Respondology. With a huge online presence and mass following, clubs such as these utilise the platform to protect players and fans who engage with social media.

In America, NFL teams like the Denver Broncos have also collaborated with Respondology, leading to 26,000 comments being moderated per day and nearly half arriving at night and on weekends. As an AI-driven tool, Respondology ensures comments can be moderated during these crucial off-peak hours.

Protecting Oceania Footballers

The Oceania Footballer’s Confederation (OFC) has recently increased its operations to monitor comments during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. 

Thanks to Respondology’s diligence and commitment, 6% of comments posted during the tournament’s first round were automatically hidden. Respondology also helped to save 3 hours of manual review time, highlighting the AI-powered platform’s efficiency and speed. 

Comments detected by the platform have been sorted into four different categories: hate speech, offensive content, general toxicity, and spam, with the latter being the most commonly encountered.

With hate speech as the second-most prevalent category, it is clear that Respondology is an absolute necessity if organisers want to continue protecting players from emotional distress as the tournament proceeds. 

Final Thoughts

For football organisations and governing bodies around the world seeking to protect online communities from hate and abuse, platforms like Respondology offer a lifeline. 

Through innovative technology supported by dedicated professionals, Respondology can help online spaces become welcoming and safe for all fans across the world.

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