Premier League clubs to vote on scrapping VAR

[Elite_Pie]

If it’s up to the clubs, I would guess that 75% would be in favour of keeping it. If it’s up to the fans, I would guess that at the very least 75% would want to bin it. I have been vehemently opposed to it since day one, and my initial opinion has only been strengthened. It’s a blight on the game and completely ruins the spontaneity that makes football special.

This issue should be decided by the people who pay the money, rather than those who make the money.

[51Magpie]

I'll be honest and admit I wanted VAR but they seem to make a total mess of things so often, it doesn't help when fans actually IN the Stadium know less about what's happening than people watching on TV. Goalline Technology is nothing to do with VAR, they have that in the Championship as well, that definitely needs to stay but I'd stop VAR for a year with a view to changes being made for the following year.

I couldn't agree more. If they decide to continue, they should make it conditional upon fundamental improvements being made in the way it's implemented. Even without the headline cock-ups, the way they go about it often seems brain dead. Other sports, e.g. rugby, manage to do it so much better, including the ability for everyone in the ground to hear the dialogue between the ref and the video assistant.

I thought the idea was to draw the ref's attention to clear and obvious errors. There was an obvious example in the Man Ure game this evening, where the ref had his back turned to an incident and was trotting away. That would be an opportunity for a VAR interruption. As it is though, when a goal is scored (flag stays down, ref gives it) the commentator ALWAYS says something like "They'll review it all, of course". It's become routine for the entire run up to the goal to be scrutinised whether or not anyone's shouting the odds about it. What fool thought that was a good way to go? It kills the atmosphere and enjoyment of the game stone dead!

[51Magpie]

The offside rule should be amended so that the attacker has the advantage which I thought at one stage was an intention. Make it that there needs to be clear daylight between the attacker and the defender for it to be offside.

Even more radical, make it that you can't be offside is the ball is played within the opposition's half, that would simplify a lot.

VAR decisions could involve the crowd as they do in tennis. And as in tennis the manager should be allowed say two unsuccessful appeals in each half. It should not be up to the players. Players who surround the referee should simply be yellow carded.

I've always thought the 'clear daylight' idea would be better, although it rarely gets a mention. Not sure what you mean about the ball being played in the opposition's half though, for that does sound radical. It could make it more difficult for the linesman as he'd have to be way up the field from wherever the ball was hoofed from the attacking side's defensive half.

[matt_magpie]

Scrap it for me, I’d absolutely hate to watch Notts with it. Gordon should have had a penalty tonight, it didn’t even make it through to the referee. The decisions are all subjective and even days after people are arguing either way on decisions, so what’s the point???
It’s suppose to be clear and obvious mistakes, it’s not done that and tbf where do you draw the line on what’s a clear and obvious mistake? The answer is even that’s subjective.

[Lullapie]

The offside rule should be amended so that the attacker has the advantage which I thought at one stage was an intention. Make it that there needs to be clear daylight between the attacker and the defender for it to be offside.

Even more radical, make it that you can't be offside is the ball is played within the opposition's half, that would simplify a lot.

VAR decisions could involve the crowd as they do in tennis. And as in tennis the manager should be allowed say two unsuccessful appeals in each half. It should not be up to the players. Players who surround the referee should simply be yellow carded.

There's a few things that infuriate me about the offside rule. One is that a defender on the other side of the pitch can be 'playing an attacker' onside, even if he is nowhere near him or if the defender isn't actually involved in the play. However, an attacker has to be construed as interfering with play to be in an offside position.

In my opinion, all players are interfering with play if they are on the pitch. Bring back the sweeper

Secondly the rule change about an attacker isn't offside until he touches the ball - how many times does play go on until that happens and then the linesman raises his flag.

Offside is part of the game and FIFA has ruined this tactical part of the game, like the World Rugby Union is doing by fannying about with the scrum.

One thing I have only just learned is that Notts are credited with inventing the offside trap.

[kill_the_drum]

I've always thought the 'clear daylight' idea would be better, although it rarely gets a mention. Not sure what you mean about the ball being played in the opposition's half though, for that does sound radical. It could make it more difficult for the linesman as he'd have to be way up the field from wherever the ball was hoofed from the attacking side's defensive half.

I’d scrap VAR but keep it for offsides if the technology and decision making can be improved and speeded up.
To me it doesn’t matter if it’s daylight or a toe or a finger nail, the tolerance will still be the same and pundits/fans will moan it was only just offside.

[OP67]

So long as it stays in the Premiership I couldn't give a toss what they do with it. I lost interest in Premiership football many years ago and VAR has killed it completely for me. So long as it stays out of the EFL I'm happy.

[MarcusCole]

The offside rule should be amended so that the attacker has the advantage which I thought at one stage was an intention. Make it that there needs to be clear daylight between the attacker and the defender for it to be offside.

Even more radical, make it that you can't be offside is the ball is played within the opposition's half, that would simplify a lot.

VAR decisions could involve the crowd as they do in tennis. And as in tennis the manager should be allowed say two unsuccessful appeals in each half. It should not be up to the players. Players who surround the referee should simply be yellow carded.

That would destroy the game. As it stands the defending team has the initative and get to dictate the game, it is up to the attacking team to sieze the initiative. Just giving the initiative to the attacking team will just mean the defenders will sit deeper and deeper in their own half, you won't need a midfield anymore and so move to maximising the attack and defence. Formations will degenerate into 5-0-5 or more likely 6-0-4.

[Mark_Ross]

Interesting subject, with lots of well reasoned posts.
I think to make sense of it, the different but related issues need to be separated out.

(1) Should technology decide certain decisions? Ball over goal line? Corner or not, etc? Controversially - offside yes/no?

(2) Should certain subjective decisions be taken by additional referees watching live video & playbacks (VAR)?
(a) What should be the scope of VAR intervention?

(3) In what competitions [at what level] should (1) & (2) be applied.

(4) How should (1) & (2) be activated?
(a) by VAR
(b) by on field referee
(c) by appeal from team captain &/or coach

(5) How should (4)(c) be implemented? Number of challenges, etc?

(6) The offside rule generally.

(7) The handball rule generally.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Not that I'm intrested in the premier league anymore (I think us getting relegated to the fifth tier was the final straw) as it's so far removed from everyone else then VAR should be scrapped. It's a complete farce.

Firstly it's killed the emotion of the game in that fans don't know if and when their team have scored so can't fully celebrate properly.

Then you have the fact that more people are involved in the decision making process. More humans means more different interpretations. The complete circus of that incident earlier in the season where a goal was missed or something and they released the transcript is just ridiculous.

There is also seeing things in slow motion compared to real life and the distortion this can have on the decision making process. If you go up to a TV screen and see a freeze frame of someone's foot off the ground and then it's played and in slow motion it can appear really bad yet they may win the ball and it might not seem like a foul in real time.

I do wonder if some referees could be prone to subconsciously using VAR as a crutch instead of using their own judgement.

I'm all for goal line technology and offside technology which I believe offside technology will get better as cameras and sensors will be all along the pitches soon.

Everything else just leave it to the on the field referee and his linesman.

If they must insist on VAR then don't bring anymore humans into the equation. Just let the referee see the video or camera footage and make the call themselves.