Var

[kill_the_drum]

Yesterday I went to Villa v Liverpool and witnessed VAR for the first time live.
Unless they drastically change how the technology is used it will ruin the live game. It’s an absolute farce. You have no idea what’s happening and it takes an age, killing the atmosphere in the process.
And when all is said and done the game now seems to have more controversy and questionable decisions than before!
I’ll stick with god awful Non league refereeing thanks!

[Elite_Pie]

I remember saying when VAR was first talked of that I'm glad my time of watching football will be done without it, even if it means suffering injustice like the Coventry playoff games. It's an opinion I still hold.

[kill_the_drum]

I wasn’t against it in theory but the way it’s been implemented is farcical.

[jackal2]

I wasn’t against it in theory but the way it’s been implemented is farcical.

It works perfectly well in Major League Soccer (for example) and has done for some time. The VAR official simply informs the referee that a decision may benefit from another look, and the referee runs over to the screen, reviews the play and decides whether to uphold or change the decision. The key point is that the final decision still lies with the on-pitch official.

Unsurprisingly, the buffoons who have infested and run the English game for far too long have managed to cock up what should be a simple process. VAR is almost certainly here to stay, but due to the complete incompetence of our particular governing body it will take longer to get right here than it has done in many other countries.

As I've said before, football is now a multi-million/billion pound industry and it's no longer good enough to just accept that mistakes happen or use the old "luck will even itself out" excuse. A system exists to ensure more decisions are right, but it still requires a modicum of intelligence to at technology effectively.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

It works perfectly well in Major League Soccer (for example) and has done for some time. The VAR official simply informs the referee that a decision may benefit from another look, and the referee runs over to the screen, reviews the play and decides whether to uphold or change the decision. The key point is that the final decision still lies with the on-pitch official.

Unsurprisingly, the buffoons who have infested and run the English game for far too long have managed to cock up what should be a simple process. VAR is almost certainly here to stay, but due to the complete incompetence of our particular governing body it will take longer to get right here than it has done in many other countries.

As I've said before, football is now a multi-million/billion pound industry and it's no longer good enough to just accept that mistakes happen or use the old "luck will even itself out" excuse. A system exists to ensure more decisions are right, but it still requires a modicum of intelligence to at technology effectively.

I could not agree more and with the general comments of other posters. It’s not the technology that is the problem is how it has been rolled out and implemented which has turned it into a VARce.

The biggest issue for me is the stoppage time and the on the field referee relinquishing responsibly for making the final decision by not looking at it themselves on a screen. It undermines their authority and control of the game in my opinion. The VAR referee or committee should be an assistant to the on the field referee. Just like a linesman or fourth official. I think a lot of us are in agreement that any clear and obvious decision needs the referee to go and look on the screen, and if after viewing it a couple of times if there is doubt the decision is not given.

They’ve made it too easy for the on field referees to not be responsible for making the decision.

The clueless and out of touch football authorities in this country have not taken on board what other countries or other sports do with this technically and followed suit. Instead they’ve rolled this out and now have to release lengthy statements explaining why decisions have been made. It’s like they are making it up as they go along and it’s ruining the game. A complete and utter farce.

[Glad2BeAPie]

Even more of a farce Everton v Spurs, why has not one ref yet gone to the pitchside screen.

[LaxtonLad]

Even more of a farce Everton v Spurs, why has not one ref yet gone to the pitchside screen.

Possibly for the same reason cricket umpires don't run to a screen to see if their decisions are correct after an appeal. I takes too long for him to examine the evidence, your honour. When first introduced it was up to the referee to dash over to a ringside screen but after the crowds got impatient with the delays the authorities decided he needed help. I imagine the 50/50 decisions are now made by a committee crowded round a couple of screens but why they don't have just one screen at the pitchside and give the referee a pair of binoculars to save his legs, I don't know.

[Notts78]

Possibly for the same reason cricket umpires don't run to a screen to see if their decisions are correct after an appeal. I takes too long for him to examine the evidence, your honour. When first introduced it was up to the referee to dash over to a ringside screen but after the crowds got impatient with the delays the authorities decided he needed help. I imagine the 50/50 decisions are now made by a committee crowded round a couple of screens but why they don't have just one screen at the pitchside and give the referee a pair of binoculars to save his legs, I don't know.

It’s only in England that VAR is done the way it is. You watch games in other countries and the ref will run to a screen and make a decision. The women’s World Cup was another good example of VAR.
The issue for me is the time it takes. The whole idea is that clear and obvious errors should be eradicated, so why can it take several minutes to come to a decision? It should require a quick look and then bosh, decision made.

[nw6pie]

It’s only in England that VAR is done the way it is. You watch games in other countries and the ref will run to a screen and make a decision. The women’s World Cup was another good example of VAR.
The issue for me is the time it takes. The whole idea is that clear and obvious errors should be eradicated, so why can it take several minutes to come to a decision? It should require a quick look and then bosh, decision made.

If you watch an incident twice on the screen and can’t make up your mind, it’s not a clear and obvious decision - so go with whatever the ref decided. The Watford penalty against Chelsea was ridiculous for how many angles they showed it from, and it was still hard to say it was a penalty conclusively (there was contact, but the Watford player dived a second later).

I’d switch the VAR off and just stick with the goal line technology, which is 100 percent effective. Fed up of these stupid offsides - should a player really be judged offside because of their armpit?!

[TSANHO]

If you watch an incident twice on the screen and can’t make up your mind, it’s not a clear and obvious decision - so go with whatever the ref decided. The Watford penalty against Chelsea was ridiculous for how many angles they showed it from, and it was still hard to say it was a penalty conclusively (there was contact, but the Watford player dived a second later).

I’d switch the VAR off and just stick with the goal line technology, which is 100 percent effective. Fed up of these stupid offsides - should a player really be judged offside because of their armpit?!

Depends upon if the goal scored was against Notts County or not ��