Violence returns to V-League: When referees and VAR are under suspicion

On the afternoon of September 20, at the home ground of Dong Nai FC, a V-League 2026-2027 match against Hanoi Police FC witnessed two unacceptable challenges. Defender Le Van Son of the home team elbowed striker Nguyen Dinh Bac of Hanoi Police. Not stopping there, center-back Huynh Tan Sinh repeatedly kicked from behind, aiming at Bac's leg. Notably, referee Le Vu Linh only showed a yellow card to Huynh Tan Sinh, despite the player having committed two consecutive off-the-ball kicks. Meanwhile, Le Van Son's elbow was not even mentioned in the official on-field decisions. This image made fans ask: where is the V-League heading when violent acts keep happening while the referee fails to take strong action? Within a short period, Vietnamese football has witnessed a series of destructive tackles. In V-League round 2 of the 2026-2027 season, Hanoi Police center-back Doan Van Hau broke the leg of The Cong Viettel midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan. In the same round, Nam Dinh foreign striker Ezeqiuel Santos Da Silva stamped on the stomach of SHB Da Nang midfielder Vo Huu Viet Hoang. These two incidents not only caused serious injuries but also damaged the image of Vietnam's top league. The September 20 incident in Dong Nai is another alarm bell, showing that pitch violence has not diminished but appears to be spreading. Faced with this situation, representatives of the organizing committee, VPF and VFF held a direct meeting with the VFF Referee Board. At the meeting, the parties asked referees to apply the laws correctly, maintain discipline, and prevent rough play. The phrase “applying the laws correctly” means no missed fouls and no missed cards. However, in the Dong Nai vs Hanoi Police match, referee Le Vu Linh missed a red card for Huynh Tan Sinh, despite the center-back twice committing off-the-ball kicks. This shows that referees have either not fully grasped the spirit of the meeting or lack the courage to apply it on the pitch. Former VFF professional vice president and former head of the VFF Referee Board Duong Vu Lam, in a talk with Dan Tri reporters after the match, commented: “Referee Le Vu Linh missed a card related to this situation. Huynh Tan Sinh’s off-the-ball kick was too obvious, but he did not receive a red card.” Lam also stressed that if the disciplinary board sanctions Tan Sinh with a retrospective ban, referee Le Vu Linh should be suspended from duty as well. This is a rare statement from someone who used to lead the referee system, showing the serious nature of the situation. A bigger question involves the VAR crew. In the match, the VAR crew included Vo Hoai Thuong and Nguyen Thanh Son. According to Duong Vu Lam, the responsibility of the VAR crew must be clarified. If the VAR crew advised the main referee to use a red card but Le Vu Linh overruled them, then the VAR crew completed their task. Conversely, if the VAR crew did not call for a red card over Huynh Tan Sinh’s foot stomp, they should also be disciplined. This reflects the confusion in VAR operations in the V-League: technology exists but is not always used as a tool to protect fairness. Having followed V-League matches for many seasons, I notice a paradox: dirty players often accept a yellow card to take out an opponent. When referees lack the courage to show red cards, malicious tackles will keep happening. Post-match penalties are only corrective; they do not provide direct deterrence. Players need to understand that they will be sent off immediately for violent conduct, not wait for a disciplinary meeting. Referee leniency in red-card situations has created a mindset of impunity for players with a rough style. The issue is not simply a professional mistake by referee Le Vu Linh. The issue lies in the philosophy of match management. A well-trained referee should recognize intentional acts of injury. Huynh Tan Sinh’s off-the-ball kick was a challenge with no intention of playing the ball, only of hitting the opponent’s leg. The laws of football clearly state that this behavior must be punished with a sending-off. If a referee does not know how to apply the law, or worse, knows it but deliberately ignores it, that is no longer a mistake but a form of enabling violence. Football is a contact sport, but contact must stay within legal limits. The difference between a hard tackle and a malicious challenge lies in intent. Referees must read that intent through the player’s movement and whether he is going for the ball. It cannot be said that Vietnamese referees lack knowledge. Most referees are thoroughly trained before each season. But knowledge on paper and courage on the pitch are two different things. Pressure from the stands, from the two teams, and from public opinion can make a referee hesitate to show a red card. However, if referees avoid important decisions because of pressure, they turn themselves into part of the problem. Former VFF head of referees Duong Vu Lam said that disciplinary sanctions for referees are usually not publicly announced, but fans can watch the referee list in the next rounds. If a name disappears from the immediate next rounds, that person is likely being disciplined. This silent approach may protect referees’ image, but it makes the public lose trust in the league’s transparency. Pitch violence is not a new problem in the V-League. But the fact that violence has occurred repeatedly in just a few rounds, with such high danger, demands tougher action from the organizers. If they only hold meetings and repeat the phrase “apply the laws correctly”, the V-League will continue to suffer from bad images. What needs to be done is a transparent referee monitoring mechanism, strict handling of subjective errors, and an environment where referees can work independently from outside pressure. In addition, the responsibility of assistant referees and match supervisors should be reviewed. In the situation where Huynh Tan Sinh delivered a dirty kick, the main referee was not the only one at fault. If the assistants or supervisors saw it and gave no signal, they should also be reminded. Every foul is a precedent, and every precedent is a case law. If referees ignore a kick at an opponent’s leg, that kick becomes a precedent for future kicks. VAR was introduced to reduce errors, but if the VAR crew does not dare to speak up or is not respected, this technology is just a formality. The match between Dong Nai and Hanoi Police on September 20 is a clear proof: technology cannot replace human courage. A revolution in refereeing mindset is needed, starting with admitting mistakes and taking responsibility. Players also need to take responsibility for their own image. They are the ones who create the league’s image, and they must understand that attacking football is always more loved than violent football. The 2026-2027 V-League has just started, yet ugly images have already appeared. Without strong measures, fans will continue to witness inhuman tackles. What the league needs now is not apologies, but decisive decisions from the meeting room to the pitch. Referees must be protectors of the game, not people who stand by and watch the laws being trampled. The gray zone does not need light; it needs a referee who knows when to stay silent when data is insufficient, but must speak up when the data is clear. The question for the VFF Referee Board, for VPF, and for everyone in football: how long will we wait, until another player has to leave the pitch on a stretcher because of another malicious challenge?