[Football] How to fix VAR ?

[Kosh]

I’m interested to know what the good people of NSC think are sensible (soccer) solutions to VAR massacring football as we know it… ?

I don’t think it’ll be abolished, but by God it needs fixing and fast. Last night was hilarious for us neutrals, but if I was a Wolves fan I’d be thinking we’ve effectively been deducted points already this season - akin to ourselves last, and it could well send them down. It’s nothing short of a disgrace.

For me, one fix would to stop slow motion replays when reviewing pens, slow motion (obviously) completely changes the ‘look’ of a given moment and any review should be subject to normal speed playback and if it’s not clear and obvious it’s not a pen or vice versa… everything looks worse in slow mo, even great goals… it’s always going to favour the attacking player as the slightest touch/contact is magnified ten fold… it’s bollocks and needs to stop.

Slow mo has a place for goal line decisions, ball in/out moments… but I’d even stop using it for marginal offsides, as again it clouds what is obvious in real time vs ridiculous slow mo.

Any other ideas ? so i can stand outside FA HQ with a cardboard placard with a list of VAR faults … you know, like an insane person with nothing better to do

Seriously though, this HAS to stop.

 

[Giraffe]

Until technology is 100% on everything, especially offside, put it in the bin and forget it ever happened.

 

[Commander]

30 second rule. The VAR has 30 seconds to decide whether to change the on field decision. If they can't make a call within 30 seconds then the on field decision stands.

It would mean clear and obvious errors get overturned, but really marginal ones don't. Then pay referees a lot more money and get much better people doing it who give interviews after games explaining their decisions and are held to account.

 

[Commander]

Until technology is 100% on everything, especially offside, put it in the bin and forget it ever happened.

Or this.

 

[m20gull]

Bin it. It's failing to fix a problem that didn't exist.

 

[beorhthelm]

needs to establish what it wants to be. is it forensic analysis and correction of every error by the ref, or to pick up obvious things the ref missed and should look at again.

if the former, well get rid, thats a shite idea.
if the latter, make a time limit and always have the ref view the video so they are making the decision. 10-15 sec should be sufficent to check if something obvious was missed.

and get rid of altogether for offside, though the problems there are more the rules than the VAR.

 

[WATFORD zero]

30 second rule. The VAR has 30 seconds to decide whether to change the on field decision. If they can't make a call within 30 seconds then the on field decision stands.

It would mean clear and obvious errors get overturned, but really marginal ones don't. Then pay referees a lot more money and get much better people doing it who give interviews after games explaining their decisions and are held to account.

Beat me to it. Only use to get ref to review clear and obvious errors. If it can't be done in 30 seconds it's clearly not obvious

 

[RandyWanger]

Each player has a GPS on them, it's not hard...

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

It should only be used for complete howlers, Henry handball goal against Ireland, Joey Barton stamp on Kayal etc. not every decision in every game

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Binning var is basically saying that our refs are too incompetent to use technology that the rest of Europe seem to use without too much issue,
The problem isn’t VAR in terms of a concept and technology. It’s the f***ing idiots using it. My view is that if they can t use VAR then they shouldn’t be allowed to referee a game. Using var should be easier but no, let’s f*** it up.

 

[Kosh]

Until technology is 100% on everything, especially offside, put it in the bin and forget it ever happened.

Fair enough, but it’s not going to happen is it …? the FA/PL would never sanction such a climb down, whilst admitting to such a calamity… I fear we’re stuck with it unless someone with some ‘balls’ comes in at the top of the UK game and stops it overnight… alas, i fear those days belong to a bygone era of yore… much like a game that isn’t a chaotic VAR shambles each and every week.

 

[jcdenton08]

All of the below:

- Copy the system used in rugby exactly. Full transparency, mic’d up refs, decisions broadcast to the home audience and live attendees in real time.

- Incorporate automated offsides.

- Complete overhaul of training and selection of ‘elite’ referees, including international recruitment and dispersing of cliques. This will help eliminate power dynamics between senior referees and juniors who daren’t “make their mentor look silly” or protect their mates.


The big one for me was how yesterday’s pairing of Salisbury and Attwell were allowed to work together after the debacle last season at Spurs. Absolute sheer incompetence.

 

[Brovion]

At the very least stop the subjective decisions. In the days before VAR when pundits were debating in the studio "Is it a penalty?" there was very rarely any agreement - old forwards would say 'yes', old defenders 'no'. VAR is simply an extension of that: one ref says 'no' and another says 'yes'. Unless it's a 'clear and obvious' scything tackle VAR shouldn't be involved. The difference now is they're expected to get it right, which is simply impossible as refereeing is not an exact science.

And for all decisions if it isn't immediately obvious then the decision on the field should stand. There seems to be an attitude creeping in of "it takes ten minutes to get to the right decision then so be it."

 

[Kosh]

Beat me to it. Only use to get ref to review clear and obvious errors. If it can't be done in 30 seconds it's clearly not obvious

Which is precisely why reviews should be real time only. Simple.

 

[Kosh]

At the very least stop the subjective decisions. In the days before VAR when pundits were debating in the studio "Is it a penalty?" there was very rarely any agreement - old forwards would say 'yes', old defenders 'no'. VAR is simply an extension of that: one ref says 'no' and another says 'yes'. Unless it's a 'clear and obvious' scything tackle VAR shouldn't be involved. The difference now is they're expected to get it right, which is simply impossible as refereeing is not an exact science.

And for all decisions if it isn't immediately obvious then the decision on the field should stand. There seems to be an attitude creeping in of "it takes ten minutes to get to the right decision then so be it."

Top post.

 

[jakarta]

Amazing how it seems to work OK in both cricket and rugby but is a shitstorm in football?

 

[macbeth]

get rid of incompetent morons like attwell and salisbury. neither are anywhere near fit for purpose

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Each player has a GPS on them, it's not hard...

Off-sides are coming down to cm/inches and GPS technology is still +/- a few metres so currently won't help.

 

[Milano]

Most of the above, especially the time limit.

The main additional changes I’d make are:
1) Do NOT have current match refs as VAR, use refs that are ‘retired’, there is a conflict of interest in having serving match refs on VAR essentially marking their mates who might then be the VAR for a game that they are reffing. That’s just common sense.
2) Believe it or not I’d pay the EPL refs a lot more, ~£250k pa. BUT I’d then ban them from other work outside UEFA tournaments, e.g. Saudi League.

 

[Driver8]

Scrap it. Football was much more enjoyable without it.