A&H

VAR Farce

Nij said:
Is it absurd that people are criticising VAR because of its misuse in the PL when it's now well-known that the PL have instructed referees to all but ignore the requirements as stated and avoid using the tool as intended? You bet!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you mean the criticism is absurd or the criticism of VAR as a process is absurd.

The fact it isn't currently working in the PL doesn't mean that VAR itself is terrible or that it should be scrapped.

But it's certainly worth criticising the way it has been implemented in the PL because it has been a long way short of expectations - they are making mistakes pretty much every week with it and showing no signs of improvement. If an on-field referee misses a clear penalty or a clear red card next weekend you can be pretty sure VAR isn't going to intervene!

I'm actually wondering if we could go the whole season without VAR changing any penalty/red card decisions, or at least it only being in single figures.
 
The Referee Store
I agree that VAR is better than not having VAR.

Without VAR, Arsenal's goal against Man Utd would have been disallowed when it was clearly onside so we are at least eliminating a few clear injustices such as that.

It is just frustrating that it isn't being used to its full effect.
 
PinnerPaul said:
The best argument for VAR is that it's better than not having VAR, plain and simple.

Think we'll have to agree to disagree, as that's a pretty sweeping statement not backed up by what I've seen so far.
Click to expand...
Obviously, I know we're in general agreement with VAR
Historically, we all got frustrated with shocking refereeing mistakes, but ultimately we accepted the human error
The vitriol and furore with regards to VAR, stems from the fact that their mistakes magnify our dismay because the errors are less excusable. I wrongly thought the PGMOL would clean up the mess we've seen around the world. Instead, they've devised an equally damaging implementation.
Whilst I see a future for much quicker offside calls with an built-in error tolerance (which defers back to the on-field decision [thus keeping AR's in a job]), the subjective stuff will continue to enrage, whilst keeping the 24/7 news channels ticking and refereeing in the spotlight (the worst place for it).
Football in particular is a sport with rub-of-the-green and can't be turned into the exact science the new generation crave. VAR also breeds the culture of demanding perfection and questioning the on-field referee's decisions
 
It is correcting some wrongs, but is spectacularly failing to correct others due to how high the bar has been set.

And the problem with that is that teams aren't being treated equally during a game. Man Utd benefitted from a VAR decision, yet Liverpool suffered due to the unwillingness of the VAR to overrule the referee, which in turn is almost certainly down to not using the pitch side screens.

Sooner or later there will be a massive scandal because one team is denied a blatant, nailed on penalty only for the opponents to be awarded a penalty as the ball has brushed a defenders arm when it is away from his body.
 
RustyRef said:
there will be a massive scandal
Click to expand...
This is only made possible by the mere existence of VAR. Paradoxically, VAR is ramping up the controversy and I'm really not sure that it's possible to overcome this with subjective decisions by any means whatsoever
 
I remain in the camp that VAR does more harm than good, and remain unconvinced that tweaks will change that. Different levels of implementation have had different problems, but I have yet to see one that makes me think either that the game has been improved or that the use of VAR has reduced controversy. I think VAR in soccer, pretty universally, has increased controversy and delays without adding sufficient value to warrant the damage. YMMV.
 
it depends on 1 the var is brave enough to tell the on field ref they made a clear horlick of things like yesterday
2 if the on field ref isnt too arrogant to ignore this
we dont know in yeterdays case
 
Didn't take long for VAR to miss a clear penalty in the Sheffield United v Arsenal match..... Bizarre how that wasn't given. Might as well ripped Sokratis' shirt off while he was at it.
 
I'm coming around to socal's line of thinking. The issue with VAR in soccer is there are simply too many subjective items for judgement. When replay is used in American sports, the decisions are nearly always objective (safe/out in baseball, foot on the line or not for a 3-point basket, was the ball loose before a football runner's knee touched the ground). In soccer, there aren't as many of those calls. For example, I thought that the non-call on the potential penalty against Spurs in the Watford game about 40 minutes in was a penalty. When looking at the replay on the goal line, I thought contact occurred without any play on the ball. It's a tough call for the on-field referees because of the direction of the ball and the position of the players, but one that I felt VAR had a legitimate case to advise Kavanagh to at least to go the monitor and check for himself.

The issue on a play like that is that I think it was a penalty, but would the next person? It's a subjective call. Sure, there should be some calls that nearly all of us would see and say, "Yes, definite penalty." However, where is that threshold? Therein lies the issue with VAR in soccer.
 
One man Var tonight, Mike Dean gave us a masterclass in refereeing! 11/10, gave correct yellows to both teams including simulation and time wasting to our keeper when required. Best ref we’ve had in many a year at the Lane! ✅✅✅
 
Sheffields Finest said:
One man Var tonight, Mike Dean gave us a masterclass in refereeing! 11/10, gave correct yellows to both teams including simulation and time wasting to our keeper when required. Best ref we’ve had in many a year at the Lane! ✅✅✅
Click to expand...

Apart from the blatent penalty he decided to miss in the 6th minute?

The Saka simulation was pretty poor. Wasn't a dive as there was contact but it wasn't enough for a penalty. Play on!
 
Ryanj91 said:
Apart from the blatent penalty he decided to miss in the 6th minute?

The Saka simulation was pretty poor. Wasn't a dive as there was contact but it wasn't enough for a penalty. Play on!
Click to expand...
Looked a dive from 15 yards away but I’ve only seen it live! 🥴
 
Ryanj91 said:
Apart from the blatent penalty he decided to miss in the 6th minute?

The Saka simulation was pretty poor. Wasn't a dive as there was contact but it wasn't enough for a penalty. Play on!
Click to expand...
If that was the young Arsenal lad that was text book simulation.
Sees a player coming, hold the run slightly, initiate the very minimal contact. Then does a little hop in the air as he goes down like he has been pole axed. Correct call from Mr Dean
 
Mike Dean has been consistently top drawer for a long time. I admire his bravery to make decisions that others shirk (and even with VAR, continue to shirk). I remember when there was a big push on shirt pulling and holding in the box at set pieces a few seasons ago. The only referee who seemed to have the bravery to implement the tougher guidelines was Mike Dean. Plus he's a bit odd, which is strangely impressive!
 
JamesL said:
If that was the young Arsenal lad that was text book simulation.
Sees a player coming, hold the run slightly, initiate the very minimal contact. Then does a little hop in the air as he goes down like he has been pole axed. Correct call from Mr Dean
Click to expand...


100% agree he initiated the contact and threw himself to the floor like he’d been shot.

Simulation all day long
 
PinnerPaul said:
The best argument for VAR is that it's better than not having VAR, plain and simple.
Click to expand...
That depends on if you prefer to be consistently inconsistent (without VAR) or selectively inconsistent by choice (with VAR).

I prefer the former And don't like VAR in any implementation I have seen so far. I do think though It is possible to make the protocol work to better the game, no one has got it right yet.
 
When you have an unofficial referee (a parent or a mate reffing) the expectations are a lot lower and the mass are more more accepting of mistakes. But once an official is in the middle, the expectations are a lot higher.

Once EPL put VAR in place it set the expectations a lot higher than what it's currently delivering. Getting a few more decisions right is not good enough.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top