Fans Protest VAR with Tennis Ball Deluge in Norwegian Eliteserien Clash

Lillestroem fans flung tennis balls onto the field to protest VAR during a match against KFUM Oslo, expressing dissatisfaction with the technology. Supporters claim VAR delays ruin matches and are calling for its removal. The protest aligns with similar opposition in other leagues, such as Sweden.

Norwegian top-flight club Lillestroem's fans showed their displeasure with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) on Thursday by hurling hundreds of tennis balls onto the field in the first minute of their home match against KFUM Oslo. VAR has stirred controversy in the Norwegian Eliteserien, with several clubs' supporter unions claiming that the time referees spend making decisions using VAR ruins the matches.

"It took three minutes to clean up, which is half the time of a typical VAR situation. It was our way of showing our dissatisfaction," Joacim Moeller, a member of the Lillestroem supporter club "Canary fans" told the Norwegian newspaper VG. "Everyone in Norway knows that we are against VAR. People are getting tired of it. There is no improvement. It is ultimately ruining our sport."

The technology-aided officiating system has faced considerable criticism from several leagues, with Sweden's top leagues deciding in April not to implement the system due to the level of opposition from clubs.

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