The use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is not the first time that technology has been used in football. In the past decades, innovating footballs, boots or goalkeeping gloves have been brought to the game. But, the choice to introduce video technology in the past years was by far the most controversial decision. The first system to be introduced was the goal-line technology following notably mistakes that resulted in goals not being given. Premier League introduced it in 2013 and the 2014 World Cup was the first time goal-line technology was used on the world stage. As the system of sending a prompt directive to the referee’s watch that a goal has been scored was successful, the introduction of VAR was one step closer.
VARiety of opinions
The introduction of Video Assistant Referee bring a lot of controversy due to the major impact that the technology had in the game. Football fans claim that the time it takes for a decision to be made interrupts the flow of the match, but it is preferable to wait a few minutes for the right decision rather than feeling frustrated for a defeat every time someone gets a wrongful goal awarded. For someone the waiting time for the decision may be boring because nothing happens on the pitch but for others it is really intense because a crucial decision that may influence the result is going to be taken. Overall, VAR has been a success story in football and it still needs to be improved as it is just a few years it was implemented . It keeps teams honest and results fair. At the moment supporters inside the stadium are not able to review the action and they are only aware of the final decision the referee makes but FIFA is working on a system to keep fans informed during the revision of a decision in order to add more tension to the game. Many fans argue that the technology takes away discussion and polemic but VAR does not stop the controversy at all, as decision still come down to a human judgement and there are still disputes and disagreements about offside and penalties.
The main objective of VAR was to bring in a fairer game and it has certainly done that. Currently players are aware that any unfair gesture will be captured with the help of technology. Defenders are more careful inside the box, strikers need to be more precise when timing their runs, and it has introduced a whole new dimension to what is considered physical football and what is considered an outright infringement of the laws of the game. VAR brings some changes for referees as well. The impact of crucial calls was reduced because of the system and, in a way, there is less pressure on the referees especially during important matches, such as derbies.
One criticism Video Assistant Referee has received is that it tends to make everything worse when seen in slow motion and that a toe being offside is not much of an infraction. But rules need to be followed rigorously during matches in order to make sure the game and result are fair. Initially it felt like referees were happy to let VAR do their work but now, in the most important leagues, there is a balanced structure where the VAR does not interfere until there is a legitimate reason to do so.
Why is VAR controversial?
The introduction of VAR brought a lot of controversial between football fans. Those who agree with the system declare that more correct decisions are made on the pitch and the final result is unlikely to be affected by key mistakes. Also the possibility of a competition to be damaged by a referee mistake is remote by using VAR. The video technology is able to stop bad offside decisions being made and decrease wrong penalties awarded as players will stop diving as they realise that these incidents will get looked at again.
However, fans and commentators who are against VAR in the game say that it slows the game down because of the time to wait for a decision to be made. As some decisions are too subjective VAR does not help to make sure referees judge actions right and controversy still exists. For example VAR is not able to help with penalty decisions efficiently as people often disagree about when a penalty should be given or not. Also, those against the system affirm that the instinctive joy of goal celebrations is likely to be lost due to the possibility of a video review.
What is VAR?
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is one step further than goal-line technology. It is the natural evolution of video technology in the game of football after the success of goal-line technology. VAR is a system of video technology that allows key decisions to be reconsider by reviewing them on a screen; either directly by the match referee or a group of professionals in a control room, who are connected with the main referee. Unlike goal-line technology, which is objective because the ball is either over the cross line or not, VAR is more subjective because is the referee to take the final decision at the end. VAR also looks at four crucial match-changing events:
– Goals and the build-up to the goal
– Penalty decisions
– Red cards
– Mistaken identity
The referee on the pitch can either ask for help from VAR or the VAR team can inform the referee if a clear error has been made. If the ref trusts the VAR team then he will change his initial decision, otherwise he will go to the touchline to watch a replay of the incident on a screed and then he will take the final decision.
VAR: Is it useful or not? 