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It was great to see video assistant referee (VAR) technology at the curtain-raiser of the new Singapore Premier League (SPL) season on Sunday ( Feb 19). I had my doubts about the use of VAR, in which a team of officials in the video operating room alerts match referees to reviewable incidents. I was afraid it would make officiating at the game messy, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the technology was handled well. However, as is the case with new technology, there were some problems. First, the VAR checks on Sunday took a bit of time, which resulted in nine minutes of injury time added at the end of the match. While that is not a negative thing per se, referees will have to ensure that adding injury time due to VAR checks is implemented consistently across all matches. This was done well at the World Cup in 2022, and referees here should use that tournament as a model. Second, there was a lack of camera angles when it came to looking at the video replays. Many incidents can happen anywhere on the pitch, so cameras need to cover as many angles as possible. This did not seem to be the case on Sunday, and if this continues, it might jeopardise the efficacy of VAR. Third, the SPL used its social media platforms to highlight key moments when VAR was used, and gave explanations for the referee’s decisions. While this transparency is good, it might also invite backlash from the teams and fans, especially if not all incidents are captured on camera. If the SPL plans to make such posts frequently during the season, it needs to be prepared to handle negative reactions. Nevertheless, I do believe that VAR will help make SPL matches more exciting to watch this season.