The World Cup Refereeing Thread - discuss the latest VARce here!

[Guest firetotheworks]

Don't buy the more pens means its wrong, I think defenders have been getting away with shite defending for too long.

I can't prove it or owt, but I reckon Stoke would have been relegated, or in a relegation battle a few years ago if we had VAR then.

[Nobody]

Can someone explain to me how a) there's only six minutes of stoppage time and b) how he blows final whistle at 97 minutes?

[Guest neesy111]

Can someone explain to me how a) there's only six minutes of stoppage time and b) how he blows final whistle at 97 minutes?

 

I said the same.  Was at least 10 mins wasted due to VAR 2nd half.

[Optimistic Nut]

Already 20 penalties in this World Cup, beating the previous record for an entire tournament (18) with 28 matches left to play.

 

Only half way through the tournament, hopefully we'll see less in future when players realise they can't get away with snide fouls anymore.

 

Aye that’s my hope. The one tonight was a joke but otherwise I think it’s been spot on mainly.

[Guest neesy111]

As long as humans are involved and football is still subjective you will still get the odd wrong decision.  There's still lots of improvement required in it, but it's come on leaps and bounds from confederations cup.

[The Prophet]

Do we think if they persist with VAR they might have to redefine what a 'foul' is?

 

VAR might have shone an accidental spotlight on the culture gamesmanship and diving, Ronaldo's penalty v Spain was the perfect example. Was there contact? Yes, however he initiated contact in order to deceive the officials.

 

The slide toward a minimal contact sport started years ago and fans and pundits alike have tacitly accepted it. Hopefully VAR will force us to stop hiding behind terms such as 'he won the foul' or 'that's clever play' and bring a bit of physicality back into the sport.

 

I'm starting to ramble but as an example you could have a two barrelled definition: 1. Was there clear and obvious contact 2. If yes, would the contact have reasonably impeded a player in his position. Obviously it would still have a subjective element when taking into account things such as sprint speed and the weight of players but I'm sure the law makers at FIFA could come up with a much better example. Just an idea.

[Yorkie]

Prophet

[Guest neesy111]

Do we think if they persist with VAR they might have to redefine what a 'foul' is?

 

VAR might have shone an accidental spotlight on the culture gamesmanship and diving, Ronaldo's penalty v Spain was the perfect example. Was there contact? Yes, however he initiated contact in order to deceive the officials.

 

The slide toward a minimal contact sport started years ago and fans and pundits alike have tacitly accepted it. Hopefully VAR will force us to stop hiding behind terms such as 'he won the foul' or 'that's clever play' and bring a bit of physicality back into the sport.

 

I'm starting to ramble but as an example you could have a two barrelled definition: 1. Was there clear and obvious contact 2. If yes, would the contact have reasonably impeded a player in his position. Obviously it would still have a subjective element when taking into account things such as sprint speed and the weight of players but I'm sure the law makers at FIFA could come up with a much better example. Just an idea.

 

Long time no speak.

[The Prophet]

My general apathy towards Mike Ashley's self-handicapped NUFC and the fact I barely get back up to the city these days (about once in the last three years) means I've taken up a lurking role. Hope all is well and that I haven't missed out on too many new Neesyisms.

[Ketsbaia]

World Cup? VARld Cup, more like.

 

Far too many penalties, far too many long delays. Let's introduce helmets and go full-on NFL.

[Kaizero]

World Cup? VARld Cup, more like.

 

Far too many penalties, far too many long delays. Let's introduce helmets and go full-on NFL.

 

There's been too few penalties . One weakly given through VAR, but that's countered by VAR not being used on the three-four stonewall penalties, now that's unforgivable.

[joeyt]

Obviously the ref should be blamed for the penalty last night but not sure why the 4 or 5 officials in the VAR box referred it back to the on field referee and put some doubt in his mind anyway.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't get the concept of referring it back to the referee in the first place, why can't the people in the VAR team just decide?

 

That said, it probably doesn't make any difference, as long as a human is looking at the footage they'll still make mistakes. Half the officials don't seem to know the handball rule anyway.

[Guest neesy111]

Obviously the ref should be blamed for the penalty last night but not sure why the 4 or 5 officials in the VAR box referred it back to the on field referee and put some doubt in his mind anyway.

 

The only thing I can think of is with it being crunch time in the group stage they didn't want to miss anything.

[joeyt]

Every game and decision in the world cup is crunch time though unless it's a dead rubber.

 

It puts doubt in the referees mind if the people in the box say you need to look at this even though it clearly wasn't a penalty

[NEEJ]

Is ball to hand/hand to ball not a thing anymore? Feel like refs are giving penalties every time it hits someone's hand.

This is the most infuriating thing so far.

 

Handling the ball

 

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the

ball with the hand or arm.

 

The following must be considered:

 

• the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)

• the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)

• the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an offence

https://www.fifa.com/development/education-and-technical/referees/laws-of-the-game.html

 

A lot of the time there seems to be a blatant disregard for the above considerations. (Through reading that I've also realised that if you somehow thump it into your own net direct from your own free-kick it's a corner to the opponent, rather than a goal. )

[Ketsbaia]

World Cup? VARld Cup, more like.

 

Far too many penalties, far too many long delays. Let's introduce helmets and go full-on NFL.

 

There's been too few penalties . One weakly given through VAR, but that's countered by VAR not being used on the three-four stonewall penalties, now that's unforgivable.

 

There's been 20 penalties, which is already a tournament record and we're still in the group phase. I know what you mean, though. VAR is showing that, if you look hard enough, each match should (technically) have 4 or 5 penalties - they just often go unnoticed or rules aren't followed as stringently.

 

Not sure I like that discovery, though.

[Shearergol]

World Cup? VARld Cup, more like.

 

Far too many penalties, far too many long delays. Let's introduce helmets and go full-on NFL.

 

There's been too few penalties . One weakly given through VAR, but that's countered by VAR not being used on the three-four stonewall penalties, now that's unforgivable.

 

There's been 20 penalties, which is already a tournament record and we're still in the group phase. I know what you mean, though. VAR is showing that, if you look hard enough, each match should (technically) have 4 or 5 penalties - they just often go unnoticed or rules aren't followed as stringently.

 

Not sure I like that discovery, though.

 

I'd love VAR at all Newcastle games though.

[Dave]

Never a foul by Mascherano. VAR didn't 'correct' anything.

[BlackandWhite]

Agree the player threw himself to the ground.

 

VAR has only made match officials an ever bigger laughing stock.

[Shearergol]

Agree the player threw himself to the ground.

 

VAR has only made match officials an ever bigger laughing stock.

 

Him throwing himself to the ground is technically nothing to do with it. He was being held with both hands. It’s shit but it’s the laws of the game.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Is it fuck.

[BlackandWhite]

Agree the player threw himself to the ground.

 

VAR has only made match officials an ever bigger laughing stock.

 

Him throwing himself to the ground is technically nothing to do with it. He was being held with both hands. It’s shit but it’s the laws of the game.

 

It is nonsense. If somebody is leaning into you like Nigeria player was to him obviously you want to keep him away from you.

 

The same way a basic trip where the player stays on his feet is technically a foul but never given as a peno a player having his hands on somebody leaning into him shouldn't be penalized in the box either.

 

It encourages strikers to deliberately wind defenders up and look for the opportunity to throw themselves to the ground and get a harsh peno. You don't want to see unsportsmanlike that and we should want to discourage it.

[Shearergol]

Is it fuck.

 

What are you doing with both hands holding onto a player if not holding? Stopping him from falling and hurting himself?

[Shearergol]

You lot need to watch it back. He’s gripping his side and his arm, not stopping him leaning back.