[Football] The Periodic VAR Yes / No Poll Number 1

[Guinness Boy]

A couple of VAR threads came up yesterday and in one I said I'd run regular polls throughout the season to take NSCs temperature on the use of VAR in the EPL. This poll will run to the end of Monday in case anything "interesting" happens in the remaining games this weekend.

There are only two options, yes or no, because we either get to use it or not, and the decisions it confirms are also binary.

To start off with I'll repeat what I said on yesterday's thread - for me it's changing the game for the worse in the name of pedantry. It's not Brexit-like for me though - if I see benefits outweighing drawbacks over the season I'll change my vote.

Over to you.....

 

[Taybha]

I may of said this before but just in case anybody missed it VAR is shyte, goal line technology is superb.

 

[pb21]

If VAR stays some laws need modifying, particularly the offside one.

Sterling's disallowed goal yesterday, ruled offside technically correctly, shouldn't be a the correct decision IMO.

Edit: Also if it takes the VAR any longer than 10 seconds, for instance, to reach a descion the original descion should stand. The time thing is an issue.

 

[Nixonator]

Good experiment. By the time the season ends I'm pretty sure everyone will want to let it die.

The offside calls and pundits trying to justify them are excruciatingly bad.

Pep described it as a passion killer recently, not a fan of the bloke but he's got it spot on there.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'm in favour of it, but only in some severely modified form. It should never be allowed to dominate a game and suck much of the passion out of it. Hard to celebrate the same goal twice.

 

[Hugo Rune]

To start off with I'll repeat what I said on yesterday's thread - for me it's changing the game for the worse in the name of pedantry. I

This.

If I want to watch a game judged to the millimetre, I’m quite happy to watch cricket and the snickometer etc. Cricket is so stop/start anyway, it suits all these replays a checks.

The marginal offsides and constant retaking of penalties is getting me down.

 

[Acker79]

Still undecided. I think a lot of people's issues with it may lessen or disappear as we get more used to it and the policies around it. If more goals are disallowed for a few millimetres offside, we'll get used to it the way we're used to goals not counting if only a couple of millimetres of the ball are on the line. We'll eventually learn that, typically, a penalty will only be retaken after VAR because of encroachment (it's being left to the lino to judge if the keeper is too far off his line - there is leeway, despite the law because no one liked what happened with the penalties in the world cup this summer).

 

[Dorset Seagull]

VAR adds nothing to the game but takes a lot away. Its the referees decision that is final, end of. Take the penalty shout yesterday, it could be argued either way so we should just accept what the referee calls. Im a great believer in things levelling out and also thousands of small incidents in a game that can change how things pan out not just the serious calls.

 

[BadFish]

It will work itself out and the boffins will find a way to immerse it in the game.

This will be done despite the media banging on about it at every opportunity and highlighting the decisions it gets wrong each weekend.

A few things to be ironed out but I look forward to more decisions being correctly given. Although obviously there will still be errors.

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[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Completely in favour of VAR. In everything I saw on MOTD yesterday it was all good. Laughable that some dimwits were claiming that the fella who was judged offside by VAR was only just offside (so he should have been judged onside). WTAF?

Also, as anticipated, the tinkering means that the game isn't held up for ages while a spikey ref (intent on undermining VAR....last season) engages in a protracted wrangle with VAR HQ. I don't recall a single screen checking interlude (not that even these bother me - I'd rather have the correct decision than an instantaneous wrong one).

Change. This is change. Things change. Rules change. If they don't work they are modified. In the long run things improve. Beware the creep of grumpy old man syndrome, chaps.

Of course if you are one of those still ******* over memories of doing the 'hold me back dance' back in the 80s, when there was no such thing as an illegal tackle from behind, men were men, black players were only tolerated if they were nippy wingers who knew their (sorry, there) place, and women had your tea ready after you got home from the post match pub, you'll be crying about VAR forever more. Fact.

 

[Acker79]

constant retaking of penalties is getting me down.

Yesterday during the game I was thinking that if goalkeepers aren't allowed to move they would just not bother. If they can't leave the line until it's kicked what chance do they have? But in the cold light of the morning, have digested all the news and comments I don't think this is going to be a area of common concern.

The approach to penalties and VAR was roundly criticised at the world cup this summer, and the premier league want to avoid that so VAR is not going to look at the keepers on the goal line. They are leaving that to the linesman, as has always been the case. The lino will allow some leeway, and VAR will only review it in extreme situations.

The only thing VAR will (generally) be looking at with penalties is encroachment. And as is always the case with penalties, it will only be an issue if a team benefits from it. Yesterday Declan Rice encroached, and because of this, he was able to get to the ball before anyone else and clear it. He benefited from his encroachment. That isn't a common thing. Usually with encroachment it is meaningless because the shot is scored, missed, or the save pushed the ball away/toward players who didn't encroach.

I think it was just bad luck for this to be the first premier league penalty reviewed by VAR and it needed to be retaken after a summer of penalty retakes. I don't think it's going to be a common occurrence in the premier league.

 

[Baldseagull]

If VAR stays some laws need modifying, particularly the offside one.

Sterling's disallowed goal yesterday, ruled offside technically correctly, shouldn't be a the correct decision IMO.

Edit: Also if it takes the VAR any longer than 10 seconds, for instance, to reach a descion the original descion should stand. The time thing is an issue.

If the ass.ref knows VAR is going to pick it up, he is more likely not to flag when it is close, as putting the flag up, and the whistle blowing is going to end the attack. As much as a pain in the arse a 10mm offside is, I think we will see less marginal onsides incorrectly given as offside as they are more likely to be allowed to play on, knowing there will be a check back if needed. So it could help improve the flow of the game at times, as opposed to slowing it up as it is perceived to do, it's just we won't realise because we will never know if the flag would have gone up if VAR was not there.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It’s not black and white. The technology is not that accurate. If we had a goal like City’s chalked off for an offside that some shit bit of software has judged to be a thumbnail offside, I’d be incandescent. That’s bullshit. Yes, correct the clear and obvious errors, when we’re getting down to pixel widths being offside or not - **** off, not for me Jeff.

 

[Baldseagull]

My biggest dislike is that until recently, the game was essentially the same for everyone at whatever level you played, you needed two goals with nets, four corner flags, a ref and two assistants, but even the rules are slightly different depending on the competition you are playing in now.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Completely in favour of VAR. In everything I saw on MOTD yesterday it was all good. Laughable that some dimwits were claiming that the fella who was judged offside by VAR was only just offside (so he should have been judged onside). WTAF?

Also, as anticipated, the tinkering means that the game isn't held up for ages while a spikey ref (intent on undermining VAR....last season) engages in a protracted wrangle with VAR HQ. I don't recall a single screen checking interlude (not that even these bother me - I'd rather have the correct decision than an instantaneous wrong one).

Change. This is change. Things change. Rules change. If they don't work they are modified. In the long run things improve. Beware the creep of grumpy old man syndrome, chaps.

Of course if you are one of those still ******* over memories of doing the 'hold me back dance' back in the 80s, when there was no such thing as an illegal tackle from behind, men were men, black players were only tolerated if they were nippy wingers who knew their (sorry, there) place, and women had your tea ready after you got home from the post match pub, you'll be crying about VAR forever more. Fact.

Judging from the papers this morning journalists hate it, Pep hates it and the players aren't much in favour either. It's not just yer ppf's and Stone Island fatties moaning. The very spirit of the game is being sucked out by (shit) technology.

 

[BadFish]

Judging from the papers this morning journalists hate it, Pep hates it and the players aren't much in favour either. It's not just yer ppf's and Stone Island fatties moaning. The very spirit of the game is being sucked out by (shit) technology.

I think people have very reasonable and real reservations about how VAR is impacting the game. However I don't think we have exhausted all avenues in terms of being it work more effectively. I am happy to give it time.

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[Pondicherry]

It’s not black and white. The technology is not that accurate. If we had a goal like City’s chalked off for an offside that some shit bit of software has judged to be a thumbnail offside, I’d be incandescent. That’s bullshit. Yes, correct the clear and obvious errors, when we’re getting down to pixel widths being offside or not - **** off, not for me Jeff.

Completely agree. Some individuals are equating football VAR with cricket Hawkeye / Snicko. The cricket technology is miles ahead and yet they still class some decisions as marginal and revert to umpires call. VAR is NOT black and white and in the end is just someones else's opinion. What's the point apart from using it to correct absolutely clear errors (mistaken identity, Thierry Henry like handballs, assaults out of referee's sight).

 

[Easy 10]

Did anyone else enjoy 'celebrating' Maupay's goal yesterday, then putting it on hold while the big screen said it was under review, then giving a half-hearted cheer when it was given ? No, me neither.

The days of glancing over at a lino to check if his flags stayed down then going loopy are now over. It COMPLETELY dilutes the moment for me, and is absolutely the single worst aspect of VAR IMO. There are going to be so many goals chalked off because a player has a pube offside, like City's yesterday. Ridiculous, and there is no advantage to the attacker when the margins being measured are literally a pixels width.

I've said it before. If we're going down to forensics on offside decisions, then give the advantage to the attacker. If any part of his body is still level with the last defender when the ball is played (so a trailing leg or whatever), then he is deemed onside. The offside law as it stands and how it is now being applied is now ruining games.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Judging from the papers this morning journalists hate it, Pep hates it and the players aren't much in favour either. It's not just yer ppf's and Stone Island fatties moaning. The very spirit of the game is being sucked out by (shit) technology.

I don't read the papers. If I did, I'd be sleeping with a blow up doll of Princess Diana, and own a fridge full of frozen gammon.

However, I am prepared to do some casual research......2 minutes later I have found these gems:

"'I'm a big fan of VAR' - Pep Guardiola has no complaints after controversy in Man City win over Schalke" (https://www.independent.ie/sport/so...sy-in-man-city-win-over-schalke-37838477.html)

So he likes VAR when the decisions go in his favour.

But...wait!

"Pep Guardiola reveals what he thinks of VAR after 'cruel' Champions League exit"

OK, so you are right.....or are you?

His actual quote was

“It's tough,” said Guardiola. “We were close to going through. It's cruel, but we have to accept it." (https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/pep-guardiola-reveals-what-thinks-14388849)

 

[Swansman]

Change. This is change. Things change. Rules change. If they don't work they are modified. In the long run things improve. Beware the creep of grumpy old man syndrome, chaps.

This "its good cause its new" bollocks is just a way too simple way to look at things.