Game 'killer' or 'fairer' - does the Championship need VAR?

Only two goals have ever been overturned by VAR in the Championship - and one of them cost Sheffield United dearly in the 2025 play-off final [Getty Images] The agony of a goal being disallowed by a video assistant referee (VAR) might never have been felt as acutely as it was by Sheffield United fans on 24 May 2025. Since that day, Sunderland have enjoyed an excellent return to the Premier League following an eight-year exodus - but there is a world in which it could have been so very different for the Black Cats. When the Blades went 2-0 up against Sunderland through Harrison Burrows in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last season, they were well on top and appeared to be cruising into the top flight.

But VAR intervened for the one and only time in the campaign to rule out the goal for offside with Vinicius Souza adjudged to be blocking goalkeeper Anthony Patterson's line of sight. "I don't think the goalkeeper saves it, I don't think he gets anywhere near it," Blades boss Chris Wilder bemoaned at the time. "We've played 46 games, two play-off games and all of a sudden it's a subjective [VAR] decision.

" Sunderland produced a dramatic comeback with two goals in the final 20 minutes to win 2-1 and secure promotion but without VAR, Regis le Bris' side could still be playing second-tier football. VAR is not in use in the Championship regular season and since 2022 has only been brought in for the play-off final. But with multiple refereeing decisions causing controversy in 2025-26, some managers have called for the introduction of the technology for every league game.

So should VAR be used in the Championship? BBC Sport takes a look. 'I'm not a fan of VAR...