Old Sod's Army-VAR nonsense

[S.F.Sorrow]

There've been a handful of very clear-cut situations (like the Kane and Mitrovic ones) where I think it would really help if FIFA came out and explained why VAR decided they weren't fouls.
As it stands, people are naturally going to assume there's either a conspiracy going on or it's simply sheer incompetence on the part of the refereeing team. A little clarity would go a long way to resolve people's concerns about what's been happening at this World Cup.

The thing is, VAR probably decided they WERE fouls but the ref ignored it. THAT's the problem with VAR. The ref can choose to ignore it. How can VAR be fair if the ref who made the wrong call can choose to ignore it?

[Fulham Tup North]

There've been a handful of very clear-cut situations (like the Kane and Mitrovic ones) where I think it would really help if FIFA came out and explained why VAR decided they weren't fouls.
As it stands, people are naturally going to assume there's either a conspiracy going on or it's simply sheer incompetence on the part of the refereeing team. A little clarity would go a long way to resolve people's concerns about what's been happening at this World Cup.

100% Agree!!

[RaySmith]

A total joke - the  good Swedish appeal for a pen not even looked at on VAR by the ref -simply appalling!

[bog]

A total joke - the  good Swedish appeal for a pen not even looked at on VAR by the ref -simply appalling!

Exactly! Hopeless!  :031:

[BarryP]

A total joke - the  good Swedish appeal for a pen not even looked at on VAR by the ref -simply appalling!

The thing is the VAR referee did look at the action and one of two things happened.


1. The VAR ref decided there was not an obvious penalty or

2. The VAR ref questioned the call and spoke to the center ref who said he saw things clearly and did not want to review the video. 


We just don't know which of the two happened because the final call rests with the center ref.

[colinwhite]

It doesnt matter because every tv viewer in the world can see that it ,(Berg for the swedes against the germans ) ,is a penalty and possibly a red card to boot. Var at this moment is a joke. I can understand and accept when a  single referee gets  it wrong in the heat of the moment in real time ,but when  a panel of refereees cant pick out 100  cent penalties when everyone else can see it ,it makes me question the competance of the people running the game . Var and the football authorities at the world cup  are  a joke.

[Milo]

I think the referee should have a microphone for two reasons now:

1. Players will stop swearing and being abusive if caught on camera.

2. All referee decisions and VAR discussions will be audible.

[colinwhite]

The only issue for me is to get the decisions right . dont care who has the last word as long as it works. At this moment in time the system is a flopp. Not only that, but clarity is needed in many situations where fouls havent been given when the offense has been blatant to see the least.

[toshes mate]

VAR isn't like tennis, where the technology takes away human error - it tells you objectively  whether the ball is IN or OUT.

Actually it doesn't since the error factor on the best optical systems is the best part of the size of an easily observable pebble on the court and can be affected by many oddities in rounding errors in the algorithms.  That is why, in cricket, there is the 'umpire's call' for LBW.  The technology has to be seen as a substitute adjudicator who has no bias that a human may have.

[toshes mate]

In football the reliance upon a two dimensional system, even one with several viewpoints is there to check what the referee may have seen from his POV, is bound to be controversial but what FIFA cannot allow is bias over what the VAR officials choose to observe and call to the attention of the referee.  We have already seen referees saying to 'demanding' players that they are 'checking' which leads me to suspect the system has not been thought through properly (in the usual manner of FIFA things).     

[Woolly Mammoth]

There's me thinking VAR stood for Vuvuzelas Are Romantic !!

[FFCAli]

In tennis and cricket the players can appeal a certain number of times per set or per innings.  Why not permit each team to have, say, 3 appeals per match?  OK, some matters are a matter of opinion but it would ensure that the VAR officials looked at things like a forward being wrestled to the ground in the penalty area and say whether that was permissible play.