Weekly refereeing review: 7–14 September 2026

From Old Trafford’s VAR admission to IFAB’s 2026/27 drills and FA scout vacancies, the week that mattered for match officials.
A derby winner that should not have stood, another week of IFAB 2026/27 scenario work, and pathway posts from The FA and Pro Ref: this was a Monday for match officials to read carefully and carry onto the park.

## What officials should take from this week

- Subjective offside is not “did they touch it?” — clearly attempting to play a close ball that impacts an opponent is enough; VAR must still send the referee to the monitor when that bar is met.
- Law 8 and the time-limited substitution protocol are live exam questions, not background reading — know the dropped-ball restart when the ball hits an assistant, and the ten-second leave / one-minute wait rules.
- Pathway work still counts: FA Referee Scout roles and English appointments across UEFA and FIFA this week show the game is watching development as well as elite KMIs.

## Pro Ref admits derby VAR error of judgement

Ten-man Manchester City beat Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford after Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute finish. The assistant flagged (for the wrong attacker); VAR found Haaland onside but did not treat Enzo Fernández’s dive at the ball from an offside position as a subjective offence needing an on-field review. Hours later Pro Ref contacted United, called it an “error of judgement,” and confirmed a review will follow. Dale Johnson’s law read is the clean takeaway for every AR and VAR: impact on the opponent matters even when there is no touch.

**Saturday takeaway:** After a flag for offside, clear the wrong player if needed — then finish the job on any other attacker who was offside and clearly attempting to play a close ball that affected a defender or goalkeeper.

Source: [Sky Sports — Pro Ref on Haaland derby winner](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13585607/erling-haaland-s-man-city-goal-decision-vs-man-utd-an-error-of-judgement-says-pro-ref)

## IFAB drills the ball-off-the-assistant restart

IFAB’s 2026/27 law-change series this week walked officials through a classic Law 8 problem: Team A’s pass is heading out for a throw-in, deflects off an assistant on the touchline, stays in, and Team A start a promising attack. Restart is a dropped ball at the point of contact for the team that would have had the throw-in — not play on, and not a free kick.

**Saturday takeaway:** If the ball hits you (or any match official) and possession or a promising attack follows that would not have happened otherwise, stop play and drop it for the side that should have benefited from the ball going out.

Source: [The IFAB — Law 8 / AR deflection scenario](https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-start-and-restart-of-play/) · [The IFAB on X](https://x.com/TheIFAB/status/2096931495349027107)

## Ten-second substitutions: leave nearest, or wait a minute

A second IFAB 2026/27 post hammered the tempo rule already in Law 3’s time-limited substitution protocol. Player on the far touchline walks slowly toward the halfway line after the board: they must leave within ten seconds, usually at the nearest boundary point. Miss the window and play restarts, but the substitute only enters (with the referee’s permission) at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed — no automatic caution for the slow walk alone unless they excessively delay the restart.

**Saturday takeaway:** Manage the board and the nearest-point leave as tightly as you manage time-wasting; tell the fourth official and both benches the one-minute wait is live if the departing player dawdles.

Source: [The IFAB on X — substitution board scenario](https://x.com/TheIFAB/status/2097656267338588610) · [IFAB Laws — substitution procedure](https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-players/)

## FA recruiting Referee Scouts for National League & Women’s Tier 3

FA Refereeing opened vacancies for Referee Scouts supporting officials in Men’s National League North and South and Tier 3 of the Women’s Football Pyramid — remote, evidence-based video reviews against the FA Refereeing DNA, offered week by week rather than as a fixed full-time post.

**Saturday takeaway:** If you assess or mentor at step 1–2 / women’s tier 3, this is the pathway language The FA is hiring against — technical, tactical, physical, psychological and social, on footage, not just matchday chat.

Source: [FA Refereeing on X — Referee Scout vacancy](https://x.com/FARefereeing/status/2097686615137095954)

## English officials busy in Europe — and at FIFA U20s

Pro Ref reported more than 100 appointments across men’s and women’s UEFA competitions already this season, highlighted Matt Donohue and Paul Howard as VAR and AVAR together, and posted Michael Oliver with Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring for Champions League Matchday 1 at the Bernabéu. Midweek, Emily Carney began the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as assistant referee (Ghana v South Korea).

**Saturday takeaway:** UK pathway credibility is still measured in continental appointments — prepare like every domestic weekend is a shop window for the next list.

Source: [Pro Ref on X — 100+ UEFA appointments](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097272850705006667) · [Pro Ref on X — Oliver UCL team](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097355186205278433) · [Pro Ref on X — Emily Carney](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097626663525695846)

## Sources

### Pro Ref / Premier League derby
- [Sky Sports — Erling Haaland’s Man City goal an ‘error of judgement’, says Pro Ref](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13585607/erling-haaland-s-man-city-goal-decision-vs-man-utd-an-error-of-judgement-says-pro-ref)
- [BBC Sport — Dale Johnson: a clear VAR mistake](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cm2r8mx91z5o)
- [BBC Sport — Premier League review: Manchester derby controversy](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckddv539g30dt)
- [Premier League — Referees & Pro Ref](https://www.premierleague.com/en/referees)

### IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27
- [The IFAB — Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play](https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-start-and-restart-of-play/)
- [The IFAB — Law 3: The Players](https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-players/)
- [The IFAB on X — AR deflection law change](https://x.com/TheIFAB/status/2096931495349027107)
- [The IFAB on X — substitution board law change](https://x.com/TheIFAB/status/2097656267338588610)

### FA / Pro Ref pathway & appointments
- [FA Refereeing on X — Referee Scout vacancy](https://x.com/FARefereeing/status/2097686615137095954)
- [Pro Ref on X — 100+ UEFA appointments](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097272850705006667)
- [Pro Ref on X — Michael Oliver UCL Matchday 1](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097355186205278433)
- [Pro Ref on X — Emily Carney FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup](https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097626663525695846)