What is ‘Snicko’? The technology used by VAR to disallow Croatia’s equaliser vs Portugal

July 3, 2026 - 09:33

Croatia thought they had snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against Portugal in stoppage time, but their celebrations were cut short by a piece of technology called the Snickometer. Defender Josko Gvardiol fired the ball into the net late in the match, just moments after substitute Goncalo Ramos had given Portugal the lead. However, the goal was quickly ruled out after a VAR review found an offside against Croatian player Petar Sucic in the buildup.

The decision hinged on a very close call. Sucic was judged to have touched the ball before it reached Gvardiol, making him active in the play. To confirm this, the officials turned to the Snickometer, a tool more commonly associated with cricket. The technology uses audio sensors to detect the faintest contact between the ball and a player's body. In this case, it picked up a tiny brush of the ball off Sucic's foot, which was not visible to the naked eye. That evidence was enough to overturn the goal and hand Portugal a narrow victory. The incident has sparked fresh debate about the use of such fine margins in football, with many fans questioning whether the contact was truly significant enough to alter the game's outcome.