Help for referees – it includes an alternative form (7)
I believe the answer is:
variant
'form' is the definition.
(I know that variant is a type of type)
'help for referees it includes an alternative' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'it' could be 't' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis) and 't' is found within the answer.
'an' could be 'i' (Roman numeral for one) and 'i' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'varan' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for variant that I've seen before include "different from the norm" , "Alternative" , "Non-standard version" , "variety" , "not of the usual type" .)