New VAR Rules

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100%. Worked well for years. If it isn't broken why fix it? Bunch of idiots in suits coming up with fad ideas that are unworkable and over-complicating things. Clueless.
This way its more suited for corruption - as yesterday proved yet again. A more complicated rule muddles the decision making
 
As clear as fucking mud. What a wonderful improvement to the glorious game. So glad it's stopped the deluge of complaints we used to have about the old, simple rule. Such clarity, such precision. Genius.

A new interpretation of the handball law was introduced at the beginning of this season. Under these new rules, a player will be penalised for handball if:
  • The hand/arm is clearly away from the body and outside the "body line" .
  • The player clearly leans into the path of the ball.
  • The ball travels some distance.
  • The ball touches a hand/arm that is clearly raised above the shoulder.
  • The player falls and the hand/arm is extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
  • A deflection clearly makes no difference to the ball touching a hand/arm that is clearly extended away from the body and/or above the shoulder

I like the way the FA, on their 'Fouls and Misconduct' rules page, have used a picture of Dier scything Lingard to the floor with what looks like a horrendously mistimed lunge performing an absolutely beautiful, well-timed slide tackle on a cheating, diving, play-acting Lingard, while Dele is a disinterested spectator in the background.


Further down the page they have used an uncannily accurate graphic of Lamela to model the new Handball regulation, illustrating the 'bottom of the armpit' (bunch of ****). Erik's new hairdo is particularly well stylised...

BzijIe9.png


I recommend that you try to work this one out...

It is handball "even if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close."

...but, 3 lines later...

It is not handball if the ball touches the arm/hand "directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close."

Of course, the second rule is superceded by the first rule (I think, apparently).

I defy you to click on the link above and then understand what the handball rule actually is. It's got me totally beaten.
 
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To me VAR is a good idea in principles, but it will never eliminate controversy. However , two things can make it work much much better:

1. Eliminate nonsense new rules like the current one on hand ball. Hand ball must be intentional and nothing else (of course this is valid with or without VAR)

2. No more than 10 seconds to review a situation. If it takes more than 10 seconds, it means that it's not clear, and the ref decision should stand

I appreciate that even with the points above there will always room for moaning, but I think it would work much better
 
To me VAR is a good idea in principles

No.

What we just witnessed was, in the end, not a sporting event in any meaningful sense.

Please trust me as an American who has been going through this for two decades, it only gets worse from here. Everything about the game is ever more warped to serve the eye in the sky and distort the human scale of what a sporting event is.

This is the death of the game.
 
No.

What we just witnessed was, in the end, not a sporting event in any meaningful sense.

Please trust me as an American who has been going through this for two decades, it only gets worse from here. Everything about the game is ever more warped to serve the eye in the sky and distort the human scale of what a sporting event is.

This is the death of the game.
If you read all my post I made it clear that the first thing to change is the handball rule. But after today I think that in doubt it's better not have VAR at all. Disgusting
 
If you read all my post I made it clear that the first thing to change is the handball rule. But after today I think that in doubt it's better not have VAR at all. Disgusting

It is true that the handball rule change is terrible, but the thing you have to keep in mind is that the rule change was made with an eye to creating something that is justiciable by slo-mo replay, rather than human-scale judgment. It is the fruit of the poisonous tree, and EVERYTHING will evolve to be optimized toward faux-objective VAR decisions rather than playing the game as it has been understood for centuries.

I PROMISE you this is only the beginning of how bad it's going to get.
 
I think the FA are going to have to take back control of our game before it's too late.
We all know what hand ball is we've grown up with it! Deliberate hand to ball.
Fuck FIFA we are going to get players aiming for hands...I expect they train for it now?

FFS call me Nostradamus
 
It is true that the handball rule change is terrible, but the thing you have to keep in mind is that the rule change was made with an eye to creating something that is justiciable by slo-mo replay, rather than human-scale judgment. It is the fruit of the poisonous tree, and EVERYTHING will evolve to be optimized toward faux-objective VAR decisions rather than playing the game as it has been understood for centuries.

I PROMISE you this is only the beginning of how bad it's going to get.
I see your point and I can clearly see that happen
 
Right, so can someone explain this to me like I'm five?

When I heard they were altering the handball rules with regards to VAR I initially thought it was going to related to the bullshit we saw last season where goals were being chalked off for the most minor accidental handball infraction in the buildup.

Looking back at last season, I thought that VAR and referee decisions on handballs leading to penalties were okay and generally took into account how deliberate/unnatural the arm position was etc.

Now it just appears that rather than fix the former issue, they've just lowered the threshold on penalty handballs to match it. Who on Earth thought that wouldn't be a disaster?
:mourpoint:
 
Right, so can someone explain this to me like I'm five?

When I heard they were altering the handball rules with regards to VAR I initially thought it was going to related to the bullshit we saw last season where goals were being chalked off for the most minor accidental handball infraction in the buildup.

Looking back at last season, I thought that VAR and referee decisions on handballs leading to penalties were okay and generally took into account how deliberate/unnatural the arm position was etc.

Now it just appears that rather than fix the former issue, they've just lowered the threshold on penalty handballs to match it. Who on Earth thought that wouldn't be a disaster?
:mourpoint:
Exactly. Who?

I want heads to roll for this. If you’re responsible for this idea you shouldn’t be involved in any future decisions about the game.
 
For any philosophy nerds, VAR is basically Plato's Cave in reverse.

We've all experienced reality all of our lives, but now we've been captured and shackled and are having our game judged by the shadows on the wall.
 
For any philosophy nerds, VAR is basically Plato's Cave in reverse.

We've all experienced reality all of our lives, but now we've been captured and shackled and are having our game judged by the shadows on the wall.
But we know the true nature of the shadow on the walls. I think what you’re looking for is empiricism v. rationalism here, where some first principles are created using some universal reason and contradict empirical common sense
 
If we don't have a VAR incident where they forensically rewind and replay a potential cough in slow motion (including figuring out the exact direction it was aimed at) then the game's dead.
A forensic team is on standby. This will work smoothly.(FA)
A match could last 5 days. Hope you lads don't have work or other things to do.
 
I am still fuming. 2 hours later, nearing 3am and am just so incensed at how bad this rule is, and how much love for the game of football dissipates.

Handball is ruining the enjoyment at watching football, VAR is ruining the excitement at celebrating goals.
 
VAR was introduced to get rid of the stupid and obvious errors (Mendes’ goal, etcetera); pick up on offsides that had been missed. However, now that the rules are being tinkered with rather than just applied more consistently, it’s all turned to shit. VAR is driving the game, rather than being used to support the implementation of the game we’ve all played.

Should have just trained the officials to be better.
 
Think they need to make the feed of the official's microphones available all game as part of VAR.

TV viewer can have it as an option at home. Broadcasters can clip it when there is a controversial call and show how the refs discussed it at the time.

They can't just get away with these stupid decisions and there be no comeback. Get us listening to how they reach those conclusions.
 
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