Are Officials losing the plot?

[jocksgloves]

The hypocrisy in top level football is stunning. If a team gets away with something, it's part of the game. If it goes against them, they moan about it for weeks. Take it on the chin and get on with the match.

[Ronners]

Maybe modern refs actually have to make decisions. In the old days Hunter could put Lee in the second row of the grand stand and it would be play on.

I think you have a point there WanChai because as the rules have evolved since Hunter/Lee it certainly has made referees make more decisions which unfortunately they were getting too many big ones wrong, so hence the conception of VAR.
It does now seem though that when VAR is in use, the referees appear to not trust their own eyes and let VAR referee the game to a certain extent.

[WanChaiMiller]

I think you have a point there WanChai because as the rules have evolved since Hunter/Lee it certainly has made referees make more decisions which unfortunately they were getting too many big ones wrong, so hence the conception of VAR.
It does now seem though that when VAR is in use, the referees appear to not trust their own eyes and let VAR referee the game to a certain extent.

I dont think they do get the big decisions wrong as a matter of course.

All games are televised and every decision is analysed to within an inch of sanity.

Like this one. In the old days the only way youd have found out anything was to read the Green Un (metaphorically). Now, its plastered all over the internet guys like Millertop can stick it up on message boards and social media. His sole purpose is to rubbish officials and the idea of this is to stick another knife in the back.

I think the reason we have VAR is an attempt to appease these whingers and moaners who appear on phone-ins and message boards and the media.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Maybe modern refs actually have to make decisions. In the old days Hunter could put Lee in the second row of the grand stand and it would be play on.

Interesting example considering most fans remember the incident but would struggle to remember the final score.

I wonder how things would have gone had the Romans had VAR. Emperor Nero sending off a lion because it had one claw over the line when it shredded the Christian

[WanChaiMiller]

Interesting example considering most fans remember the incident but would struggle to remember the final score.

I wonder how things would have gone had the Romans had VAR. Emperor Nero sending off a lion because it had one claw over the line when it shredded the Christian

Depends on whether it pitched in line and was going on to hit.

[Ronners]

I dont think they do get the big decisions wrong as a matter of course.

All games are televised and every decision is analysed to within an inch of sanity.

Like this one. In the old days the only way youd have found out anything was to read the Green Un (metaphorically). Now, its plastered all over the internet guys like Millertop can stick it up on message boards and social media. His sole purpose is to rubbish officials and the idea of this is to stick another knife in the back.

I think the reason we have VAR is an attempt to appease these whingers and moaners who appear on phone-ins and message boards and the media.

I have referred myself WanChai so I know how hard it is, and although you say you dont agree that ref's get big decisions wrong as a matter of course, I disagree.
Just taking our club in recent weeks, we had a stonewall penalty turned down against Cardiff which I'm sure VAR would have given us, and against Forest, Anthony Knockeart would have seen red for punching our player, had VAR reviewed it and their goal would have been ruled out for offside also, once VAR reviewed it and that is just in the last 3 weeks, and I'd call all of them big decisions.

[jocksgloves]

We got away with a few decisions at Preston, if I remember correctly. I've also officiated, and got many calls wrong, but they were all done honestly, even when reffing my own team.

[Ronners]

We got away with a few decisions at Preston, if I remember correctly. I've also officiated, and got many calls wrong, but they were all done honestly, even when reffing my own team.

All referees decisions are made honestly jock but there are too many honest wrong decisions happening, hence the arrival of VAR, and whilst VAR has caused controversy at times, I believe that it has mainly changed decisions correctly.

[CAMiller]

All referees decisions are made honestly jock but there are too many honest wrong decisions happening, hence the arrival of VAR, and whilst VAR has caused controversy at times, I believe that it has mainly changed decisions correctly.

Wrong decisions have always been made and more than likely the rate of making them hasn't changed, just the means of examining them with the proliferation of TV etc. Even in 'the good old days' if there was video evidence of a 'mistake' it was (and in some cases still is) examined with forensic fervour. Examples that spring to mind are the '66 goal that was/wasn't and the early 1970's 'offside' goal that WBA scored to cost Dirty Leeds the League Title.

Again, in the 'good old days' if we were the subject of a bad decision it would have been talked about in the pubs and forgotten about by about 9pm on a Saturday after half a dozen pints or so. Today, it's home to watch it on TV/YouTube/iFollow and see if the player's left nipple was ahead of the line drawn parallel to the zit on the defenders arse

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

I still think it should be down to the ref to decide if he wants VAR assistance. Not some faceless neddy insisting that he does