Video Assistant Referees (VAR)

[Guest neesy111]

When I grew up, a lot of times we played football we didn't even have a referee. Rules of the game remain the same, but as the game gets more professional I'd expect the refereeing to get more professional. If everything about the game was "fair" throughout all levels, that would mean the best refs should also ref kid games at schools. They don't. Because they're professionals and only ref professional games. These refs however would certainly be better at refereeing than some kids dad. The game of football has never all equal from the playground to Camp Nou, but the rules still remain the same throughout all levels even with VAR used at the highest.

 

So it's how the rules are enforced and who by?

[Kaizero]

When I grew up, a lot of times we played football we didn't even have a referee. Rules of the game remain the same, but as the game gets more professional I'd expect the refereeing to get more professional. If everything about the game was "fair" throughout all levels, that would mean the best refs should also ref kid games at schools. They don't. Because they're professionals and only ref professional games. These refs however would certainly be better at refereeing than some kids dad. The game of football has never all equal from the playground to Camp Nou, but the rules still remain the same throughout all levels even with VAR used at the highest.

 

So it's how the rules are enforced and who by?

 

It's an argument against people saying adding VAR at the top level changes the sport since "it's the same on all levels of the game". Which it really isn't. The rules are the same throughout, how they're applied is vastly different - from no ref on the playground to extra refs in certain competitions. VAR being used to enforce rules at the highest level doesn't change football as a game being the same for everyone no matter where you play it (if you follow the rules of the game), you just get better enforcing of the rules the more professional you get.

[triggs]

Do all sunday league games have linesmen for offsides?

[Superior Acuña]

I think it's an abomination like. I dread the day I celebrate a Newcastle goal then have it taken away, and after that, the instantaneous celebrating a goal will never be the same again because you know it might not count. Goals can be ruled offside but it takes a split second to look at the linesman/ref (as I always do). I'm also not inherently against technology - goal-line is fine, it's instantaneous, but VAR disrupts one of the main things that makes football great.

[triggs]

I think it's an abomination like. I dread the day I celebrate a Newcastle goal then have it taken away, and after that, the instantaneous celebrating a goal will never be the same again because you know it might not count. Goals can be ruled offside but it takes a split second to look at the linesman/ref (as I always do). I'm also not inherently against technology - goal-line is fine, it's instantaneous, but VAR disrupts one of the main things that makes football great.

Its no celebrating a goal from a penalty that turns into a free kick for the opposition for no apparent reason like

[Figures 1-0 Football]

I think it's an abomination like. I dread the day I celebrate a Newcastle goal then have it taken away, and after that, the instantaneous celebrating a goal will never be the same again because you know it might not count. Goals can be ruled offside but it takes a split second to look at the linesman/ref (as I always do). I'm also not inherently against technology - goal-line is fine, it's instantaneous, but VAR disrupts one of the main things that makes football great.

 

Spot on. Another reason (added to the many in this thread already) why VAR should never come in.

[Kaizero]

Roma manager lost his shit in the post match conference about VAR not already being implemented in the Champions League saying a shit ref cost them the game.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Roma manager lost his shit in the post match conference about VAR not already being implemented in the Champions League saying a shit ref cost them the game.

 

Liverpool would have had 2 penalties in the first half though, so they’d have been 4-1 down and out.

 

Not having VAR actually made it more of an interesting spectacle, with no pathetic stoppages. There would have been about 6 VAR stoppages last night, which would have been grim and interrupted an interesting tie.

[Raconteur]

VAR failure decides the A-League Grand Final, after a pretty miserable first season of implementation.

 

From "The Age", Melbourne, Australia:

 

In a season of VAR blunders, this was the lowest of lows

 

2018 A-League grand final: Melbourne Victory 1, Newcastle Jets 0

 

Nothing short of a real villain would be enough to deny Newcastle Jets the fairytale finale in front of their own fans on Saturday night. For once, it wasn’t Besart Berisha, the Albanian striker failed to shine for the first time in a decider.

 

The Novocastrians couldn’t point their finger at one of the regular foes in Kevin Muscat either. The ever-dangerous Leroy George can’t put his hand up for the honour and in truth, nor could the outstanding Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas.

 

Instead, the most hated man on the Hunter will be able to walk into any pub in Newcastle today completely oblivious to the 530,000 grieving locals. The Video Assistant Referee ruined the dream of Newcastle coming from wooden-spooners last year to winning their first-ever home grand final, ignoring a clear offside to award Victory the only goal of the match.

 

Replays showed James Donachie was offside as he set up Kosta Barbarouses’ goal for Victory's 1-0 win.

 

Confirmed by the logo of its standalone sponsor, the VAR reviewed it, yet did nothing. Of all the VAR controversies that have plagued a largely stale A-League season, this was the worst.

 

There was no point of conjecture, nothing went unsighted by cameras instead a slight yet decisive error from the technology brought in to end the blunders decided the champions by an error of its own.

 

On the biggest occasion, the calls for the VAR’s removal grew to their loudest. Had the 29,410 mostly home supporters seen the stills on the broadcaster, those calls would have been deafening and justifiably so.

 

Like so many others this season, their night was ruined by the VAR and every football supporter had the right to join in their chorus of moans after a year of dejecting viewing. The VAR has regularly stopped play for several minutes on end, sometimes to no conclusion. On-field referees have become more timid. Players don’t instinctively celebrate goals as they sit and await confirmation from the VAR and at the season’s crescendo, we learnt it was all for nothing. It couldn't even address the most simple justification for its inclusion - offside goals - and peak audiences watched its spectacular failure.

 

Had a linesman or a referee made the error then fair game, they’re only human. The margins are fine in finals and the margin for error all-but non existent now with the VAR. That it went so horribly wrong for such a basic decision left many asking why we have it.

 

In truth, Newcastle weren’t just the victims of one bad decision, rather the rapid commercialisation of the beautiful game and organisations desperate to find anything beyond football to make it marketable.

 

That’s not just Football Federation Australia, who became the first top-tier league to introduce it in hope of appeasing broadcasters, but FIFA too.

 

The VAR will be at the World Cup next month and there will be a whole nation that shares Newcastle’s anguish, perhaps a few. All the while, the English Premier League and UEFA will feel vindicated in their decision to take no part in the farce.

 

 

With vid and stills (may be geoblocked): https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/in-a-season-of-var-blunders-this-was-the-lowest-of-lows-20180505-p4zdls.html

 

[Wullie]

Seen a few important incidents lately that VAR would have played no part in (under the current guidelines) - the EL semi final between Salzburg and Marseille was decided after Marseille turned in a corner that was an obvious goal kick, and then Southampton got screwed today by Redmond being pulled up for a non-existent foul, which could cost them their PL status. I don't like the attitude that VAR is just used for the "big decisions" - in football, every decision is a big decision because it's a fluid game, unlike most other sports which use technology. If you really want VAR to make decision making in football as close to perfect as possible, and eliminate the threat of massive games being decided on incorrect calls, then you can't just pick and choose which decisions fall under its remit imo.

[loki679]

VAR failure decides the A-League Grand Final, after a pretty miserable first season of implementation.

 

From "The Age", Melbourne, Australia:

 

In a season of VAR blunders, this was the lowest of lows

 

2018 A-League grand final: Melbourne Victory 1, Newcastle Jets 0

 

Nothing short of a real villain would be enough to deny Newcastle Jets the fairytale finale in front of their own fans on Saturday night. For once, it wasn’t Besart Berisha, the Albanian striker failed to shine for the first time in a decider.

 

The Novocastrians couldn’t point their finger at one of the regular foes in Kevin Muscat either. The ever-dangerous Leroy George can’t put his hand up for the honour and in truth, nor could the outstanding Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas.

 

Instead, the most hated man on the Hunter will be able to walk into any pub in Newcastle today completely oblivious to the 530,000 grieving locals. The Video Assistant Referee ruined the dream of Newcastle coming from wooden-spooners last year to winning their first-ever home grand final, ignoring a clear offside to award Victory the only goal of the match.

 

Replays showed James Donachie was offside as he set up Kosta Barbarouses’ goal for Victory's 1-0 win.

 

Confirmed by the logo of its standalone sponsor, the VAR reviewed it, yet did nothing. Of all the VAR controversies that have plagued a largely stale A-League season, this was the worst.

 

There was no point of conjecture, nothing went unsighted by cameras instead a slight yet decisive error from the technology brought in to end the blunders decided the champions by an error of its own.

 

On the biggest occasion, the calls for the VAR’s removal grew to their loudest. Had the 29,410 mostly home supporters seen the stills on the broadcaster, those calls would have been deafening and justifiably so.

 

Like so many others this season, their night was ruined by the VAR and every football supporter had the right to join in their chorus of moans after a year of dejecting viewing. The VAR has regularly stopped play for several minutes on end, sometimes to no conclusion. On-field referees have become more timid. Players don’t instinctively celebrate goals as they sit and await confirmation from the VAR and at the season’s crescendo, we learnt it was all for nothing. It couldn't even address the most simple justification for its inclusion - offside goals - and peak audiences watched its spectacular failure.

 

Had a linesman or a referee made the error then fair game, they’re only human. The margins are fine in finals and the margin for error all-but non existent now with the VAR. That it went so horribly wrong for such a basic decision left many asking why we have it.

 

In truth, Newcastle weren’t just the victims of one bad decision, rather the rapid commercialisation of the beautiful game and organisations desperate to find anything beyond football to make it marketable.

 

That’s not just Football Federation Australia, who became the first top-tier league to introduce it in hope of appeasing broadcasters, but FIFA too.

 

The VAR will be at the World Cup next month and there will be a whole nation that shares Newcastle’s anguish, perhaps a few. All the while, the English Premier League and UEFA will feel vindicated in their decision to take no part in the farce.

 

 

With vid and stills (may be geoblocked): https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/in-a-season-of-var-blunders-this-was-the-lowest-of-lows-20180505-p4zdls.html

 

 

Newcastle get fucked over. Least it's not just us I suppose.

[Dave]

[duo]

Goal line technology gets  because it's black and white - it's either over the line or not - Ref knows in seconds - happy days.

 

VAR you can watch a replay a hundred times and it's still not conclusive - it's still an 'opinion' at the end of the day.  I don't get who is pushing for VAR, the clubs, FA, FIFA - but I pray it never comes.  I think La Liga are getting it next season - I hope it totally tanks and we never hear of it again.

[Infinitely Content]

Can't come soon enough - in all comps. We can't blame refereeing decisions entirely of course, but we've been on the wrong end of some dreadful decisions already so early into the season, what definitely seems like more than others, too.

[CPL]

What would have happened if there was VAR at the end? Would their goal get chalked off and we get a penatly??

[Guest]

Can't come soon enough - in all comps. We can't blame refereeing decisions entirely of course, but we've been on the wrong end of some dreadful decisions already so early into the season, what definitely seems like more than others, too.

 

The one bit of technology that has come into play even resulted in a goal against us of course. Without it, that first Spurs goal would have been tough to call.

[Guest]

What would have happened if there was VAR at the end? Would their goal get chalked off and we get a penatly??

 

Yes.

[Stifler]

What would have happened if there was VAR at the end? Would their goal get chalked off and we get a penatly??

 

Yes.

No. VAR is still ruled by an incompetent referee in a room somewhere who will always back up the match referee. In the World Cup it worked because they were different officials from different countries. Here in the U.K. and specifically with referee’s etc there is a culture of backing up your colleagues to the end. The former referee’s they bring out on SkySports and Talksport always back up the match official even when they were clearly in the wrong. When it comes to a top 6 club it becomes a harder nit to crack because every football fan knows the top 6 are given decisions their way despite everything.

The referee’s will always protect themselves and protect the top 6 clubs. VAR will change nothing in England, only a total overhaul of how to train referee’s will change anything. If I was in charge of the referee association I’d be tempted to tell most of the ‘professional’ referee’s to jog on (all the Premier League ones in anyway) and replace them with foreign referee’s until we can train a new generation of them.

[Greg]

[Kasper]

Never disappoints that lad.

[Stifler]

We all know their shit and we all know they are bent to fuck.

Why defend them? Why let them keep doing what they are doing?

There is always an excuse for them, the main one at the minute being the game is too fast.

If the game is too fast then how come a player can still make a tackle, a player can make a pass, a goalkeeper can still make a save, fans can react and make an appeal to the referee, yet the referee can’t see what the fuck went on?

Sick of people defending them and saying they need help. They can help themselves first, they arn’t fit for purpose.

[Decky]

How can they back up their fellow referees when the mistake is so blatant and they're literally watching it over and over again from every angle? It would border on match fixing.

[Stifler]

How can they back up their fellow referees when the mistake is so blatant and they're literally watching it over and over again from every angle? It would border on match fixing.

You not seen them do it on TV before? VAR is going to change fuck all. All they will do is try an implement a rule an interpretation to the rule. Even today’s foul, all the referee would say is that the keeper had an honest intent to go for the ball. Fuck all will change.

[triggs]

How can they back up their fellow referees when the mistake is so blatant and they're literally watching it over and over again from every angle? It would border on match fixing.

You not seen them do it on TV before? VAR is going to change fuck all. All they will do is try an implement a rule an interpretation to the rule. Even today’s foul, all the referee would say is that the keeper had an honest intent to go for the ball. Fuck all will change.

Honest intent to go for the ball doesn’t mean it isn’t a foul

[Kasper]

If the game is too fast then how come a player can still make a tackle, a player can make a pass, a goalkeeper can still make a save, fans can react and make an appeal to the referee, yet the referee can’t see what the fuck went on?

 

And the players never miss a tackle, never misplace a pass, never fail to make a save, fans never see it incorrectly...

 

Great comparison.