Video technology (VAR) in football

Because it is complicated. The game gets played to the referees whistle. That’s the way it’s been pretty much since association football came into existence. Getting into the area of chalking off goals scored is quite radical. And if we’re having a lad watching for whether it was a pen or not why not have a foul monitoring ref? A make sure the right team gets the throw in ref? And so on. How far should we really go back for the penalty in the scenario I outline? Because a foul or offside could be easily missed in the build up but if the guys watching the screen miss it too then what? Maybe the refs shoudl review highlights at half time and reverse lots of decisions prior to kick off of the second half.

The game absolutely should make use of technology, it just has to be realistic about what it can achieve by doing so.

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Then they’ve missed it. Technology doesn’t ensure 100% accuracy. It just ensures far better than the current. Re: the correct fouls and throw ins you obviously need to draw the line at bigger decisions. I would say it’s pretty simple: penalties, red cards, and offside. Offside really should be able to be done by a system that takes it out of the hands of humans altogether, with a hawk-eye type tennis technology as Wenger always says.

Ah, and this changes nothing about the game being played to the ref’s whistle. Simply he has more advice, and the option to fix an incorrect decision he makes, just as he does now when referees use the advice of a linesman speaking into their earphone. Should he not take that option that would be on him, just as it is currently, but under such a system the referees that make more use of the help they get are undoubtedly going to end up prospering and being higher rated.

Dunno about Hawkeye for offside. Takes 8 cameras in each goal frame to tell whether one object has crossed one line. How many would we need to tell whether the relevant body parts of a particular player were beyond the relevant body parts of another player whilst also considering the exact right moment of when the ball was played? And that’s before the intangible of whether that player was interfering in play or not. I’d hate to be the programmer, that’s for sure. :slight_smile:

I definitely think it changes the dynamic of playing to the whistle if major decisions, as far as goals, can end up being changed on foot of a review.

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Im sceptical about this. You can get too a stage especially in bigger games were referees will just refer everything. You can then get video panels virtually looking for reasons not to award things.
Seen it happen in other sports. As for penalty decisions good luck with that. Disputed every week with people disagreeing.
Not something im looking forward too.

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This happened in the Dutch Cup Semi Final last night. AZ scored the winner in the 94th minute. The video referee called a foul and the goal was ruled out.

they already apply suitable tech for post match review dont they?

Its not a stretch to think its achievable for review during the match.

You could have someone watching 3 or 4 screens at the same time with various difrent angels and he is responsible for every decision, Or 1 person spesificly watching for off sides and 1 the general fouls or whatever and the ref on the pitches only job is to do what the people watching on the screen tell him to do and to break up scuffes…

The worst that could happen is a similar siruation to when the ref thinks about playing advantage but then pulls it back, decisions might get given 5-10 seconds after they currently might at worst and we’d get used to that pritty quickly especially if it meant not conceding dodgy offside goals etc

I only support this for:

Offside goals
Red cards
Penalty decisions

Normal fouls and stuff, not interested. Will slow the game down tremendously.

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Okay to a degree but your kidding yourself if you think them decisions are going to be made that quick.

aint this been said for the past 10 year

Cue refs chucking hankeys all over thr shop…

I don’t see how someone watching the telly would make his decision slower than refs do currently, pressing a button and blowing a whistle are basically the same thing

Basically what I’m suggesting is have a ref making all the decisions still but instead of running around trying to keep up with play and make decisions on things he can’t actually be expected to be able to see due to angles or players blocking off his view he is doing it from the comfort of a studio with 4/5 difrent views of he action

Refs are not slow making decisions they just miss them really.
Tbh I think the game has started to last to long as it is and another 5 to 7 minutes a game doesnt thrill me.

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Would be nice if they communicated which situations are to be judged by a video ref.

Offside, at least in its current state, should be kept out of it entirely and there will have to be some changes in terms of communicating situations to the crowd, time-span for the decision to be made by video refs, how dangerous challenges are being dealt with and probably with how situations can be reviewed by videos refs (e.g. slow mos can be misleading).

I think it’s going to be a longer process and not something that will be done within a month.

red blows whistle.
game stops for 5-10 seconds while a replay is checked.
ref decides.
game continues.

wheres the challenge?

You think a penalty or a booking will be decided in that period of time your way off.
Try 45 to a minute and thats if its clear cut. They check from more than one angle for a start.

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i assure you, its doable. besides, the time limit is arbitrary and irrelivant.

I think this match between United and Bournemouth is showing us just why video technology would be pretty darn good!

Refs guess. The point of the video should be I’ve made a decision but I need clarification. If it’s debatable the decision stands, if it’s clear cut then the decision changes. It doesn’t need to take more than 20 seconds and in your average game there will only be like 3 decisions that really matter in your average game (off/onside goals, penalties, goalscoring opportunity, red card tackles and maybe once in a while a contentious corner).

If a ref awards a dodgy penalty then it takes 2 minutes before it’s taken anyway because the opposition are moaning at the ref.

I don’t get why people would be against it when the wrong decision just one time can completely change a game.

People are in for a shock with video evidence. A lot of people think its verbatim and unquestionable like hawkeye.
Your going to be looking at some very grey areas like refs do every week.
Offside is an interpretation rule half the time now anyway and contact on penaltys is as more contentious as ever.

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