Will VAR Change Football for the Better?

[Driver101]

LotusOmega375D said:

Haha. I've just read that BBC story. Did anyone else notice this newly implemented little nugget?

"In other tweaks to the penalty laws, the kick cannot be taken while the goalkeeper is touching the woodwork or nets - or if the net or posts are still moving after being touched."

Well that's sorted that big problem out then...

In all my years of watching professional football, live and on the TV, I have never seen a goalkeeper try and save a penalty whilst wobbling the woodwork or hanging from the net.

Maybe the penalty taker should wear a blindfold to even things up a bit?

I was just about to add that to this thread.




They haven't been applying this rule at the WC. A couple of the penalty saves the keeper has ran across the line miles early and nothing has been said.

If the keeper can't move at all they've little chance of saving a penalty. The good saves always come from the keeper guessing the right way and being on the move before the ball is actually kicked

It's all a joke.

[Wonderman]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I thought the supporters of VAR wanted to use it to "get the big decisions right". Is a penalty being saved by illegal keeper encroachment not a big decision? A team has a pen saved when they may have scored if the keeper hadn't moved forward.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to understand the logic of the VAR supporters.

Where did I say I was a fan of VAR?

[Chuffedmonkey]

I think it needs to get scrapped. I have not read the whole thread but my 2 biggest gripes are:

Not being able to celebrate a goal when it goes in, we have seen it plenty of times already only for it to get scrubbed off. Can you imagine it sat in the terraces and everyone celebrates only for it to be cancelled.

Penalties, there will be a lot.

We love football for what it is, I really don't want to have 5 to 10 mins ET maybe more for these stupid stoppages.

I believe in rule of averages and yes sometimes a football team loses out on a mistake but FFS its played by humans, refereed by humans and watched by humans. Plus what are all the fans gonna talk about in the pub or at work etc. Football is a 45 minute per half fluid game.

[monty999]

Chuffedmonkey said:

Plus what are all the fans gonna talk about in the pub or at work etc..

Bad VAR decisions I would have thought.

[monty999]

Another ridiculous VAR outcome for USA 2nd goal. Defenders are now going to have to make a split second decision on whether or not to attempt to cut out a through ball in the hope that if they leave it a VAR off-side will be given or not. Who'd be a defender !!!

[Driver101]

monty999 said:

Another ridiculous VAR outcome for USA 2nd goal. Defenders are now going to have to make a split second decision on whether or not to attempt to cut out a through ball in the hope that if they leave it a VAR off-side will be given or not. Who'd be a defender !!!

100%. The defender tried desperately to clear it to stop the American behind her getting the ball. The uncontrolled clearance when to another USA player who scored.

A goal was disallowed in an earlier game for exactly the same reason. They really are making a total mess of VAR and consistency.

Again the decisions are still going for the top teams.

[moanthebairns]

Driver101 said:

monty999 said:

Another ridiculous VAR outcome for USA 2nd goal. Defenders are now going to have to make a split second decision on whether or not to attempt to cut out a through ball in the hope that if they leave it a VAR off-side will be given or not. Who'd be a defender !!!

100%. The defender tried desperately to clear it to stop the American behind her getting the ball. The uncontrolled clearance when to another USA player who scored.

A goal was disallowed in an earlier game for exactly the same reason. They really are making a total mess of VAR and consistency.

Again the decisions are still going for the top teams.

I think that is more to do with the standard of female refs, the last few games I've watched some of the decisions have been bemusing, even with the assistance of VAR.

Can't recall any moments like this last year in the real world cup.

Personally I fking love VAR.

[yellowjack]

moanthebairns said:

I think that is more to do with the standard of female refs, the last few games I've watched some of the decisions have been bemusing, even with the assistance of VAR.

Can't recall any moments like this last year in the real world cup.

Personally I fking love VAR.

The "standard of female refs"? Sorry, I can't agree with that statement. I've seen plenty of female referees in non-league football, and there isn't a gulf between the women and the men at that level. Certainly a few of the female officials I've seen at live games have been far better than some of the lardy old male refs at the same level who seem to have failed to go to SpecSavers. The issue at these world cup games is probably more one of experience at higher levels than of ability. What would bring the standards up is seeing more female officials at top level club competitions. I've been commanded by female army officers, and served with women more than capable in the Counter-IED Search role in conflict zones, so there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't have women officiating at major sports events. But in the name of equality, I also don't see why there shouldn't be male officials at the women's world cup. That way there'd be an active encouragement to improve and promote female referees to officiate at the same standard as the top male refs who are on the international selection list. After all, there'd be outrage if women were banned from officiating in the mens game.

As for VAR? I can't make my mind up really. On the one hand it's great to prevent cheating that we've all seen on the TV replays but the ref missed for whatever reason. On the other hand, these penalty re-takes and the "who encroached first/which encroachment is the 'senior' offence" malarkey is killing the (my) enjoyment of a game. Especially when a saved penalty is scored at the re-take. One game of football hinges on a collection of pivotal moments over the full 90 minutes, and just one of them being altered by a VAR review shouldn't have a fundamental effect on the outcome of a game, but the perception that they do is quite invasive for the viewer, whether at the stadium or at home in an armchair. On the whole, I think that when the process has been learned, and is applied with some degree of consistency, then it will (in general) be better for the game. Sadly, in the short term I think it will be a bit of a rough ride for some teams and fans generally while it beds in...

[Driver101]

yellowjack said:

moanthebairns said:

I think that is more to do with the standard of female refs, the last few games I've watched some of the decisions have been bemusing, even with the assistance of VAR.

Can't recall any moments like this last year in the real world cup.

Personally I fking love VAR.

The "standard of female refs"? Sorry, I can't agree with that statement. I've seen plenty of female referees in non-league football, and there isn't a gulf between the women and the men at that level. Certainly a few of the female officials I've seen at live games have been far better than some of the lardy old male refs at the same level who seem to have failed to go to SpecSavers. The issue at these world cup games is probably more one of experience at higher levels than of ability. What would bring the standards up is seeing more female officials at top level club competitions. I've been commanded by female army officers, and served with women more than capable in the Counter-IED Search role in conflict zones, so there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't have women officiating at major sports events. But in the name of equality, I also don't see why there shouldn't be male officials at the women's world cup. That way there'd be an active encouragement to improve and promote female referees to officiate at the same standard as the top male refs who are on the international selection list. After all, there'd be outrage if women were banned from officiating in the mens game.

As for VAR? I can't make my mind up really. On the one hand it's great to prevent cheating that we've all seen on the TV replays but the ref missed for whatever reason. On the other hand, these penalty re-takes and the "who encroached first/which encroachment is the 'senior' offence" malarkey is killing the (my) enjoyment of a game. Especially when a saved penalty is scored at the re-take. One game of football hinges on a collection of pivotal moments over the full 90 minutes, and just one of them being altered by a VAR review shouldn't have a fundamental effect on the outcome of a game, but the perception that they do is quite invasive for the viewer, whether at the stadium or at home in an armchair. On the whole, I think that when the process has been learned, and is applied with some degree of consistency, then it will (in general) be better for the game. Sadly, in the short term I think it will be a bit of a rough ride for some teams and fans generally while it beds in...

There has been tons of poor calls. On the pitch and even when the ref has had the benefit of VAR to help her.

The assistant refs have apparently been told not to flag for offsides and use VAR if it's close, but they let things go that are so obvious that they can't not flag.

You can't fire officiating of this standard into top games and hope they learn and improve. Just like the male refs they have to earn their right to rise to the top.

[yellowjack]

Driver101 said:

There has been tons of poor calls. On the pitch and even when the ref has had the benefit of VAR to help her.

The assistant refs have apparently been told not to flag for offsides and use VAR if it's close, but they let things go that are so obvious that they can't not flag.

You can't fire officiating of this standard into top games and hope they learn and improve. Just like the male refs they have to earn their right to rise to the top.

I think we're in agreement. I want to see more female officials at higher levels, but I want their journey to the top to be more of a natural rise through the ranks, hence my comment on it being no bad thing to stick some male officials into the women's world cup. And if the assistants have been told not to flag, and they don't, then that is a deficiency with their ruling body and the instructions they've been given more than it is with the assistants themselves. But I've seen male officials who are far more inept than the poorest female officials I've seen, especially down in tier 6/7/8 of the pyramid. It's harder to judge top level female refs against top level men, because there's not yet a sufficiently large sample group to compare with. I just think that there isn't anything inherently wrong with VAR, it's more the pig's ear they've made of implementing it and the in-service tweaking they are having to do to reduce the intrusive impact it has had so far. It should really run nicely in the background, with fans and players unaware of it until a big mistake needs to be corrected, but currently it is in the forefront of everyone's minds, we seem to be looking over our shoulders for it constantly instead of being able to sit back, relax, and watch a decent match as a neutral.

[allegro]

Ha what a farce!! They have now realised that handing out yellow cards for straying off the goaline on penalties may result in a comedy mass sending off for keepers during penalty shootouts so have suspended yellow cards during shoutouts. What a mess!

[monty999]

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[Driver101]

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[TwigtheWonderkid]

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[Puggit]

Replay shows England women's goal was onside within seconds, yet took far longer for the VAR decision. Officials are useless.

[Gadgetmac]

Puggit said:

Replay shows England women's goal was onside within seconds, yet took far longer for the VAR decision. Officials are useless.

Thats the real issue here. Speed of decision. We all needed one look and could declare goal or no goal instantly...it’s taking an age for the referee to come to the same decision.

[monty999]

[redacted]

[Alfahorn]

VAR is in theory a great benefit to the game. However, unfortunately the technology is being put in the hands of people not intelligent enough to use it in the right way.

VAR will ruin the game and I want rid of it ASAP.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

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[Gadgetmac]

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