Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Piranshahr Education Department, General Directorate of Education of West Azerbaijan Province, Piranshahr, Iran.
2
Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Educational and Psychology, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran.
3
Department of Information Science & Knowledge Management, Faculty of Public Administration & Organizational Sciences, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22089/smrj.2026.18920.4226
Abstract
The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive scientometric analysis to examine the evolution and emerging trends of video assistant referee research in sports, focusing on the period 2010-2025.This study follows a scientometric approach employing bibliometric analysis to evaluate the performance indicators and scientific structure of 71 articles retrieved from the Scopus database, following a two-stage screening process. Excel, Word Viewer, R, and R Studio software were used for data analysis. At the level of scientific production, countries with advanced league infrastructures (such as England, China, and Germany) have a decisive dominance in attracting global citations, setting the direction of studies. In contrast, the success of institutions such as the University of Nord Norway, by adopting a focused research model, provides a practical and applicable model for mid-level universities to achieve global recognition and impact in specialized fields despite resource limitations. Finally, despite the lack of citation impact of domestic Iranian research at the global level, their focus on infrastructural and managerial obstacles as prerequisites demonstrates a conscious effort to keep pace with the global trend through foreign collaborations and addressing the fundamental challenges of VAR implementation. These findings highlight the need for continuous attention to optimizing protocols (value engineering) and expanding research towards future-oriented perspectives (artificial intelligence), and the future success of VAR depends on the ability of policymakers and researchers to strike a balance between technical accuracy, competitive fairness, and human-organizational dimensions, which requires a flexible and interdisciplinary intellectual framework.
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