VAR

[StripiestPilot]

Easy ways to make VAR better:

1. A completely distinct set of officials who work only on VAR. It is not right that the same pool of officials rotate between being on the grass and being in the VAR room.

2. 30 second time limit to decide whether to send the referee to the monitor. Let the referee decide how much time to spend analysing a decision, not the VAR.

3. We should be able to hear all communication between the referee and the VAR and stadium screens should show replays like on TV.

What I hate most about VAR is that we get assistant referees taking 5 minutes to decide something while the actual referee is standing on the pitch doing nothing. If an official is going to re-referee the game, it should be the actual referee and not the VAR. I feel bad for the referees on the pitch because once a VAR has taken 5 minutes just to send the referee to the monitor, there is huge pressure on the referee to make a quick decision just to get the game restarted. The VAR should be making lightning fast interventions on clear and obvious errors, asking the referee to confirm their original decision. Not taking 5 minutes to re-referee the decision the other way and then forcing the ref to agree.

 

[r-u-s-x]

This is the conundrum.
Take VAR away and we'll see on field errors. But then the game will be less annoying live for fans in the ground.
Keep it and it carries on getting on peoples nerves.
So really, the only option is fix it. And to fix it, they need to listen to people who aren't referees. And they won't. Because they can't understand what fans want.

VAR will always cost more than it will benefit imo. If they can get offsides like goal line decisions (immediate and error free) then bring it in then, we set a high bar for GLD.

 

[r-u-s-x]

actually like the new rule whereby the lino doesn't flag and stop play.
Before this rule, I used to get irritated that play was stopped when a player wasn't offside. People talk about goals being ruled out, but they don't talk about the times goals were prevented in the first place.

Hate it when it's pretty obvious offside, a keeper is going to clatter someone and injuries for no reason

 

[Matt1882]

VAR will always cost more than it will benefit imo. If they can get offsides like goal line decisions (immediate and error free) then bring it in then, we set a high bar for GLD.

The problem with the offside, is that even if they are "error free" and even if it was done in a 10 seconds, I don't agree with their interpretation of the rule. No sane fan should. Limbs poking out, the direction each player is leaning, the players shadow etc shouldn't decide offside. A player stood further forwards the nearest player able to play him onside is the only time anyone should be offside.

This is offside. This is what offside is for

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324600045/figure/fig1/AS:616970282094592@1524108586319/An-example-of-the-offside-rule-position.png

This is a fucking crime against football that it even got looked at

https://img.lemde.fr/2022/11/23/65/0/1140/570/1440/720/75/0/b1edef1_1669209116924-i.jpg

 

[r-u-s-x]

The problem with the offside, is that even if they are "error free" and even if it was done in a 10 seconds, I don't agree with their interpretation of the rule. No sane fan should. Limbs poking out, the direction each player is leaning, the players shadow etc shouldn't decide offside. A player stood further forwards the nearest player able to play him onside is the only time anyone should be offside.

This is offside. This is what offside is for

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324600045/figure/fig1/AS:616970282094592@1524108586319/An-example-of-the-offside-rule-position.png

This is a fucking crime against football that it even got looked at

https://img.lemde.fr/2022/11/23/65/0/1140/570/1440/720/75/0/b1edef1_1669209116924-i.jpg

People always say that they want consistency (until they say they want common sense), if you decide var should be subjective you're back to arguing over why it's an offside for you but not man u/Liverpool.

Get rid and realise mistakes happen imo

 

[Calgary Spur]

I didn’t want to piss and moan in a perfectly good game thread, so I thought I’d go here.

VAR is garbage. I’m convinced that Richarlison is onside and that’s one of the dumbest calls we’ve seen. But im also flabbergasted that they gave a penalty for the Kulusevski handball. Like one week we have a clear shout for a handball where a player cuts a pass out for a scoring chance and they review this and decide it’s not intentional, so no penalty. This week it’s a penalty, but clearly not intentional.

And using this for offsides has just been so stupid since day one. I don’t know if it should a rolling video they have to use, and no-freeze frame, or what the solution is at this point. I’d settle for the officials making a call, making mistakes and just eliminating VAR though. It’s not like it’s fixing anything.

Honestly, it’s a complete disgrace. Just farcical.

 

[oldwiltshireyid]

I didn’t want to piss and moan in a perfectly good game thread, so I thought I’d go here.

VAR is garbage. I’m convinced that Richarlison is onside and that’s one of the dumbest calls we’ve seen. But im also flabbergasted that they gave a penalty for the Kulusevski handball. Like one week we have a clear shout for a handball where a player cuts a pass out for a scoring chance and they review this and decide it’s not intentional, so no penalty. This week it’s a penalty, but clearly not intentional.

And using this for offsides has just been so stupid since day one. I don’t know if it should a rolling video they have to use, and no-freeze frame, or what the solution is at this point. I’d settle for the officials making a call, making mistakes and just eliminating VAR though. It’s not like it’s fixing anything.

Honestly, it’s a complete disgrace. Just farcical.

The worst part of VAR is not being able to celebrate a goal properly for the fear of them intervening . Surely that’s what football should be all about

 

[Matt1882]

That should never, ever have been given as offside. But worse than that, it should not have taken 3 fucking minutes to find a slither of hope for the corrupt bastards to give it off. They should have a first glance rule with absolutely no lines. Lino didn't flag it don't forget. He hasn't made a clear and obvious mistake, award the goal.

 

[Mandy]

That should never, ever have been given as offside. But worse than that, it should not have taken 3 fucking minutes to find a slither of hope for the corrupt bastards to give it off. They should have a first glance rule with absolutely no lines. Lino didn't flag it don't forget. He hasn't made a clear and obvious mistake, award the goal.

It’s a disgrace. I think there should be a time limit because like you say three minutes clearly means they are looking for something specific. They should also only watch the replay at real speed. None of this slow mo or freeze frame crap. The technology isn’t good enough for that so watch it at the same speed as everyone else and decide on that. If it’s not clearly offside then give the benefit to the attacker.
Also refs and VAR should be miked up. We should be able to hear the discussions that are taking place.

 

[1882]

The real shame is, that fantastic goals (like Richarlison's yesterday) are being chalked off for marginal decisions that take MINUTES to decide...
Whereas tiny deflections that may or may not be on/offside due to whether the attacker shaved that morning, or cut his fucking toenails ARE being given!

I'm not saying give a goal because it's a well taken goal.... but fuck me, Richie's DESERVED a goal, as opposed to some freak deflection off of someone's outstretched leg, surely?

 

[mummy]

Whatever happened to the hi-tech graphics that were supposed to eliminate all offside mistakes forever?

You know, this shit that they used in the World Cup...

Is it coming to a Kart Track near us?

 

[Matt1882]

Also refs and VAR should be miked up. We should be able to hear the discussions that are taking place.

"Keep em busy Nigel, I've been paid £15k to disallow a goal, I'm trying to find an angle that makes the lines look a bit offside if you squint"
Imagine that over the stadium PA system

 

[Matt1882]

Whatever happened to the hi-tech graphics that were supposed to eliminate all offside mistakes forever?

You know, this shit that they used in the World Cup...

Is it coming to a Kart Track near us?

You just wanna scream until you bust a blood vessel that absolutely nobody in the game wants these ruled out. We don't even want them being looked at unless the lino flagged (after the goal) to then 100% definitely award this as onside.
The more this goes on, the more we're made to hold back celebrating goals, the longer they spend on trying to rule them out, the more damage is done to the game IMO.

 

[Archie]

I find the use of lines for offside decisions confusing. Yesterday decisions the lines were drawn from under the armpit of the defender (the rest of his arm further forward) and Richarlison's shoulder. How can that be right.
For me they change the rules based on the colour of the shirt. We all know that decision goes for Liverpool, Woolwich and man utd. Corruption is alive and well in the EPL.

 

[mummy]

"Has VAR Ruined Football?" - I changed my vote from 'Yes' to the 'Yes' above it.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

I didn’t want to piss and moan in a perfectly good game thread, so I thought I’d go here.

VAR is garbage. I’m convinced that Richarlison is onside and that’s one of the dumbest calls we’ve seen. But im also flabbergasted that they gave a penalty for the Kulusevski handball. Like one week we have a clear shout for a handball where a player cuts a pass out for a scoring chance and they review this and decide it’s not intentional, so no penalty. This week it’s a penalty, but clearly not intentional.

And using this for offsides has just been so stupid since day one. I don’t know if it should a rolling video they have to use, and no-freeze frame, or what the solution is at this point. I’d settle for the officials making a call, making mistakes and just eliminating VAR though. It’s not like it’s fixing anything.

Honestly, it’s a complete disgrace. Just farcical.

My hope would be that since the introduction of VAR there should be some realisation by now that certain rules in football are about interpretation, which by its very definition means there is a possibility for inconsistency when giving a decision. It should also now be established that humans make mistakes on offsides etc that on occasion an offence is committed that they might not have seen it. But VAR should have by now highlighted that it hasn't fixed this, that VAR is also run by humans, so those exact interpretations of law will still mean there are inconsistencies and that they still get decisions (offside etc) wrong.

The hope is VAR has educated people that even tech hasn't solved these issues. If I wanted to prove to people that mistakes and interpretations happen in football then I would have invented VAR as part of the exercise to prove this theory and call it a success.

Apologies should be given for the waste of time experienced by fans, especially those paying to be at the stadiums. But the experiment should be called off. Let us still rage at decisions officials get wrong, even the ones they get right, but at least the game goes on, no stoppage for 5 ludicrous minutes, no-kill joys taking out the euphoric feeling and that joy when your team scores.

 

[Two Left Feet]

I’m all for goal line technology but this VAR on offside is just plain stupid.
Here’s a suggestion: how about changing the offside rule so that it states that a player is offside if there is clear light between the attacking player and an opposition player. That would be entirely within the spirit of the offside rule and would stop this business of toenails being offside, something that would never have been judged in the old days before the technology of VAR was misused to screw up the game. It would be easy to spot by VAR and would take just seconds to adjudicate whilst, as I said, being totally within the spirit and intention of the offside rule.

 

[LEGO Boy]

I’m all for goal line technology but this VAR on offside is just plain stupid.
Here’s a suggestion: how about changing the offside rule so that it states that a player is offside if there is clear light between the attacking player and an opposition player. That would be entirely within the spirit of the offside rule and would stop this business of toenails being offside, something that would never have been judged in the old days before the technology of VAR was misused to screw up the game. It would be easy to spot by VAR and would take just seconds to adjudicate whilst, as I said, being totally within the spirit and intention of the offside rule.

Something along those lines is desperately needed. I don't think any football fan wanted this long, drawn out, mircro analysis of every bloody frame and body part.

For me, it should be judged by the naked eye. VAR should simply freeze the footage, have a quick look, if the player looks in line just give the bloody goal, and the whole process should take 30 secs. Think we can all live with that, surely?

The way it is now is fucking killing the game and sucking all the joy out of goalscoring.

 

[Kosher Kid]

I’m all for goal line technology but this VAR on offside is just plain stupid.
Here’s a suggestion: how about changing the offside rule so that it states that a player is offside if there is clear light between the attacking player and an opposition player. That would be entirely within the spirit of the offside rule and would stop this business of toenails being offside, something that would never have been judged in the old days before the technology of VAR was misused to screw up the game. It would be easy to spot by VAR and would take just seconds to adjudicate whilst, as I said, being totally within the spirit and intention of the offside rule.

Danny Blanchflower stated decades ago that the pitch should be made into quarters and that a player should not be deemed to be offside unless he is in the defending teams last quarter; rather than inside the opposition half, when the ball is played forward.

This would create more space for the best football teams to play in and negate the offside trap being used as a tactic.

In the modern era it would make more of these flaky offside decisions difficult to dispute.

The concept of VAR was beautiful.

It's supposed to assist the ref in making the right decision more often and reducing the possibility of ref's calling the wrong decisions due to being in a bad position to see incidents.

It was actually better and more accurate when VAR was used to correct the refs incorrect decisions.

What we have now is VAR coming up with worse decisions than the refs used to without VAR.

It's being deliberately mismanaged in my opinion because the football authorities would prefer VAR to be taken away from the game.

Some supporters are actually calling for this due to frustration with poor decisions.

I think VAR has caused problems for bookmakers and anyone who might be on the fiddle tbh.

 

[1882]

You just wanna scream until you bust a blood vessel that absolutely nobody in the game wants these ruled out. We don't even want them being looked at unless the lino flagged (after the goal) to then 100% definitely award this as onside.
The more this goes on, the more we're made to hold back celebrating goals, the longer they spend on trying to rule them out, the more damage is done to the game IMO.

My hope would be that since the introduction of VAR there should be some realisation by now that certain rules in football are about interpretation, which by its very definition means there is a possibility for inconsistency when giving a decision. It should also now be established that humans make mistakes on offsides etc that on occasion an offence is committed that they might not have seen it. But VAR should have by now highlighted that it hasn't fixed this, that VAR is also run by humans, so those exact interpretations of law will still mean there are inconsistencies and that they still get decisions (offside etc) wrong.

The hope is VAR has educated people that even tech hasn't solved these issues. If I wanted to prove to people that mistakes and interpretations happen in football then I would have invented VAR as part of the exercise to prove this theory and call it a success.

Apologies should be given for the waste of time experienced by fans, especially those paying to be at the stadiums. But the experiment should be called off. Let us still rage at decisions officials get wrong, even the ones they get right, but at least the game goes on, no stoppage for 5 ludicrous minutes, no-kill joys taking out the euphoric feeling and that joy when your team scores.

I still maintain that the best solution, and 'protest' at VAR would be for EVERY football fan inside the ground to greet EVERY goal with absolute silence.... UNTIL VAR DEEM IT OK FOR US TO CELEBRATE!

A bit petulant, I know, and it would take every ounce of restraint, and go against every instinctive gutteral passion... But IMAGINE them trying to sell THAT silent, non reaction product to the world!?