“Checking the monitor”
/ˈtʃɛkɪŋ ðə ˈmɒnɪtə/
phrase · soccer
Definition
When the on-field referee is asked to review a decision themselves on the pitchside monitor, rather than simply accepting VAR's recommendation through the earpiece.
Origin
Arrived with VAR when the Premier League adopted it in 2019. The moment a referee trudges over to a small pitchside screen, puts on a headset, and squints at footage while 60,000 people stare in silence. It has become one of the most recognizable, and most argued-about, images in modern soccer.
Used in a sentence
"The ref's checking the monitor. Could be a red card. Could be nothing. Could be another three minutes of everyone standing around not knowing what's happening."
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