The VAR Thread

[Mjerda]

I would love to see VAR stopped. It is ruining the game. The joy has been taken away.

Yeah, that's the easiest solution, isn't it? We should only introduce technology when it can be fully automated. VAR only gives us more officials to be angry at. Funnily enough, that one time Hawk-Eye failed, the anger wasn't directed at the technology, but rather at VAR for not intervening (why didn't they? ).

So what if we scrapped VAR, but let the managers get the possibility of one video review by the ref per game? No VAR involved, only the ref having a look at the screen. That would give a more tactical side to it as well. Klopp would probably use his within the first 5 minutes, then at the very end when the ref misses an obvious handball in their box, he only got himself to blame

And of course, if the manager gets a yellow, he'll lose his video review right.

 

[Japhet]

Yeah, that's the easiest solution, isn't it? We should only introduce technology when it can be fully automated. VAR only gives us more officials to be angry at. Funnily enough, that one time Hawk-Eye failed, the anger wasn't directed at the technology, but rather at VAR for not intervening (why didn't they? ).

So what if we scrapped VAR, but let the managers get the possibility of one video review by the ref per game? No VAR involved, only the ref having a look at the screen. That would give a more tactical side to it as well. Klopp would probably use his within the first 5 minutes, then at the very end when the ref misses an obvious handball in their box, he only got himself to blame

And of course, if the manager gets a yellow, he'll lose his video review right.

To scrap VAR we also need to ban the forensic micro analysis that goes on in TV studios over every decision. Without that the vast majority of VAR decisions would have been accepted with a shrug of the shoulders.

 

[Mjerda]

To scrap VAR we also need to ban the forensic micro analysis that goes on in TV studios over every decision. Without that the vast majority of VAR decisions would have been accepted with a shrug of the shoulders.

For sure, but VAR has made that micro analysis a lot worse. Prior to VAR, the pundits knew it wasn't always easy for the ref to get every decision right, and although they still mentioned the mistakes post match, they wouldn't go on about it for days.

Also, many of the situations we're now being forced to watch over and over DURING the game, wouldn't get much air time previously as the game wouldn't have stopped.

 

[Lighty64]

Sorry I’m starting a new thread but this season VAR is really getting to me.

I’ve started a petition which I hope will reach the whole footballing community because I expect the majority of the country are bored with it to

Please sign it and share it with any of your daily social media. The bigger the audience the more signing the petition the better even if slim, something might change.

going to a game nowadays just doesn’t feel the same

Sign the Petition

VAR is ruining football

chng.it

 

[thePessimist]

what outcome do you expect from this? a petition saying var is shit won’t help much. i would at least include some ideas on how it can be made to work better.

personally, i think once we’ve introduced var it’ll be difficult to just abandon it. tv cameras will catch everything anyway and make it horrible for refs.

agreed, this season it seems like everything’s become a lot worse and the system definitely needs twekas

 

[riggi]

I was at the Chelsea game and tbh it ruined the game.

 

[thePessimist]

To scrap VAR we also need to ban the forensic micro analysis that goes on in TV studios over every decision. Without that the vast majority of VAR decisions would have been accepted with a shrug of the shoulders.

sadly, i think it’s more likely we’ll see match refs disappear and var taking full control of the game. digital wistle sound over stadium monitors

 

[Lighty64]

what outcome do you expect from this? a petition saying var is shit won’t help much. i would at least include some ideas on how it can be made to work better.

personally, i think once we’ve introduced var it’ll be difficult to just abandon it. tv cameras will catch everything anyway and make it horrible for refs.

agreed, this season it seems like everything’s become a lot worse and the system definitely needs twekas

the annoying thing is after 3 seasons we would have already expected improvements, yet it's getting worse, especially for the fans that attend games.

just an example from Monday's game, with it being a late kick-off off fans are having to miss the end of games to catch their connections. will more players suffer injuries because nowadays the assistant won't flag offside at the 1st opportunity?

 

[thePessimist]

the annoying thing is after 3 seasons we would have already expected improvements, yet it's getting worse, especially for the fans that attend games.

just an example from Monday's game, with it being a late kick-off off fans are having to miss the end of games to catch their connections. will more players suffer injuries because nowadays the assistant won't flag offside at the 1st opportunity?

Agreed, it’s been horrible and getting worse. Obviously VAR needs to be improved (on many fronts) but I can’t see us getting rid of the system now that we have it (sadly). I don’t know how they do it in other leagues but i have a feeling england i by far the worst

 

[UncleBuck]

Strip it right back to only include goal and touch line technology, VAR only gets involved for red card decisions whether it’s a yellow that needs upgrading or if the ref has missed serious foul play.

 

[Tucker]

It’s certainly declined in quality this season. For whatever reason at the start of the season they were getting more calls wrong, and are now overcompensating for that by checking everything for too long to try to ensure they don’t get it wrong.

I don’t think VAR is the problem in and of itself. It’s just the incompetent boobs who are in charge of refereeing that are fouling it up.

The motor vehicle is a fabulous invention that’s revolutionised the way we all live, but I bet if they’d let blind people drive at the start of it all in the 1890s people would have been calling for the car to be banned.

There should be a system to check if a ref has made a mistake. But that’s all it should be for. Use the semi automated offside technology to get quicker and more accurate decisions for that, and give the VAR 60 seconds to look for mistakes. Any longer and it’s not an obvious one. Cut out all the extraneous stuff like letting the on field ref look at it. Just tell him he’s wrong and move on with the game.

 

[Johnny J]

The problem isn't VAR, it's how it's implemented in this country. PGMOL have prioritised protecting their refs, which is why we get the ridiculous farce of everyone knowing the ref will change his mind when he's summoned to look at the screen.

The only thing that should matter is the correct decision. It works extremely well in rugby, and given time it will work better in football.

But PGMOL want to preserve the sanctity and authority of their refs. Witness Mike Dean saying, in the depths his ignorance, that he never needed VAR when he was a young ref so why should they need it now.
The truth is that PGMOL is terrified about VAR showing up what we all suspect, which is that refs make mistakes all the time. And that's not necessarily their fault - the game is way faster than it was and you can't see everything happening on the pitch at once.

VAR also needs to be staffed by independent technical specialists, not mates of the ref who want to protect them. That's a clear conflict of interests.

I also think there should be a time limit on checks. If the tech can't give a definitive answer within however many seconds, then you go with the on field decision.

The offside tech also needs to be improved, because players can't judge in real time whether they're an inch offside. Which means players leave more of a margin or risk being marginally offside every time.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

I believe it should be restricted to objective facts such as whether the ball crossed the line.

All this offside and handball nonsense should be decided by a referee because if a ref can’t decide whether a team was gaining an unfair advantage or not, let it go.

If someone’s toenail is ahead of someone else’s shoulder, why on earth should an otherwise good goal be disallowed? In what world does that improve the game of football?

 

[Johnny J]

I believe it should be restricted to objective facts such as whether the ball crossed the line.

All this offside and handball nonsense should be decided by a referee because if a ref can’t decide whether a team was gaining an unfair advantage or not, let it go.

If someone’s toenail is ahead of someone else’s shoulder, why on earth should an otherwise good goal be disallowed? In what world does that improve the game of football?

The problem with the offside situation now is that the rule was invented to be judged by eye, to stop Victorian gentlemen from goal-hanging. Applying 21st century tech to a rule players need to judge by eye in real time just doesn't work. So far, at least.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

The problem with the offside situation now is that the rule was invented to be judged by eye, to stop Victorian gentlemen from goal-hanging. Applying 21st century tech to a rule players need to judge by eye in real time just doesn't work. So far, at least.

Exactly , 100%

It’s making the rule more important than its part in the game.

It’s a nonsense and a failure of logic that none of the “experts” seem to take into account. All they can think of is how to speed things up, or communicate better or whatever fudge first comes to mind, forgetting or ignoring altogether the principle of what the rule is there for.

 

[muppetman]

sadly, i think it’s more likely we’ll see match refs disappear and var taking full control of the game. digital wistle sound over stadium monitors

I could definitely see that lino's become redundant with AI off sides and VAR in the ref's ear.

 

[Gareth88]

sadly, i think it’s more likely we’ll see match refs disappear and var taking full control of the game. digital wistle sound over stadium monitors

Nah, its more likely going to eventually hopefully end up like rugby which is generally a very smooth and quick transaction.

 

[UncleBuck]

Trouble is if you want technology to work properly it needs to be a worldwide standard. Offside calls are an absolute joke so scrap var for them unless you can get a system in place for every senior league globally and I’d include the championship in that as well, why shouldn’t they have it?
But it has to be blatantly offside, none of this toenail rubbish which is killing the game!
There must be some sort of way they can have a camera that keeps up with play to determine an offside, if not leave it to the officials and everyone just needs to suck up getting the odd call go against them.
It’s not like wrong calls from lino’s or ref’s are a new thing is it but goal line technology for me is the one they need to really just scale it back to

 

[easley91]

It's not the tech. It's the users, the rules and guidelines we have in place here that make it difficult. This clear and obvious thing is a load of crap. Why they decided to look at a Haaland handball when the ball FOLLOWED him into the goal boggles the mind.

The petition should be for a different organisation in charge of using it and how it is implemented.

I am still an advocate of VAR, because when used for its original intended purpose and used correctly it's a great tool. But the way our officials use it here is getting worse by the match.

Give more transparency to those in the ground and at home. Let everyone listen to the audio as it happens or have the ref announce it on the pitch.

Offsides should be using that semi automated system which is used in Europe.

Handballs need to go back to how they used to be and let ex players help by explaining what is and isn't a natural positioning of the arm when defending.

I would love for it to be used to determine who the ball comes off for goal kicks and corners.

The time it takes needs to be limited. If a decision cannot be made in X minutes or seconds go with on field decision.

 

[allatsea]

It has to go. It is ruining the spontaneity of the game and taking the joy out of it.