Development of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR)-Based Competition and Digital Scoring System in Pencak Silat

The continuous development of Pencak Silat as both a traditional martial art and a modern competitive sport requires a scoring system that ensures greater accuracy, transparency, and fairness. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a Video Assistant Referee (VAR)-based competition and digital scoring system specifically designed for Pencak Silat to improve objectivity, reliability, and match management. A Research and Development (R&D) approach was employed using a modified Borg & Gall model, consisting of problem identification, prototype development, limited trials, large-scale trials, and final product revision stages. The study involved three expert validators, 15 participants in the limited trial, and 65 participants in the large-scale trial, while inferential statistical analysis was conducted based on 25 evaluated match cases. Data were collected through literature review, observation, interviews, questionnaires, and simulated matches, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, paired sample t-tests, effect size analysis, and confidence interval estimation. The findings indicated that the implementation of the VAR system significantly improved scoring accuracy from 79.24% to 86.20% (t = 9.400; p < 0.001), demonstrating greater consistency and objectivity in referee decision-making. The developed system also enabled replay access within an average of 4.31 seconds and incorporated supporting features such as highlight markers, statistical dashboards, and cloud-based data storage. Overall, the VAR-based digital scoring system was considered feasible, practical, and effective for supporting transparent and reliable competition management in Pencak Silat. This study contributes to the growing literature on digital sport technology by demonstrating the potential of video-assisted officiating systems to enhance fairness, transparency, and professionalism in martial arts competitions.