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VAR appears to dominate the discourse around football every weekend – with nobody content with the outcomes. So how could the process improve?
Our writers came up with some ideas based on how other sports have successfully used technology.
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There's also the NHL's implementation of the coach's challenge, wherein if the coach gets it wrong, they're issued a two-minute minor penalty, given the opponent a power play. If the coach gets it right, they obviously win the challenge and have the call on the ice overturned.
Of course, this would necessitate a sin bin in football, but I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in that rule change either.
Umpire's call should definitely be a thing in football. Instead of making the ref go back to a screen.
The biggest problem with VAR is that its breaking the flow of the game. Changes should be made to reduce its interference with matches
Just use it for offside call and let rest of the decisions taken by on field refree .This will reduce pressure on refrees while taking any call.
Football needs to watch rugby.
Or just have a similar system to rugby? Where you hear what is being checked and the on field refs decision (unless obvious) is final
Automation has to happen.
Where cricket does it better is to give the decision to the captain of the respective teams to review the on-field umpire decisions when in doubt.
We had semi automated offsides in the e World Cup and it was perfect
Just automate as much as possible.
As long as human refs are directly involved, there'll always be subjective calls which could be debated forever.
To solve this, firstly the law has to made more concrete, secondly automation needs to come in place like in the case of goal-line technology.
The only thing left to the human refs should be making sure the technology is switched on and working. I think only that could really stop all the controversies.
Point 1: There's a jeopardy when making a challenge in NFL (and NBA), becuase if you're unsuccessful, you also lose a timeout, which can be crucial when trying to control the game at the end, football has nothing like that
Point 2: That's basically just what goal line technology is, and semi-automated offside's are already in football, just not in the PL due to the clubs deciding not to use it
Point 3: 'umpires call' is also already in football, the Anthony Gordon goal for example, the VAR couldn't conclusively tell that the ball went out of play or when the ball hit Joelinton to decide where to judge a potential offside from, so stayed with the on-field call. And other than for LBW's (which 'umpires call' is there because there is a margin of error on the technology), that's the only time 'umpires call' comes into it because everything else is black or white, "did the batter hit the ball or not" etc.
Deciding on a matter of subjectivity, like the extent of a foul, is nowhere near the same
As an American, one thing I like about NFL challenges is not just the refs taking a second look at a play, but they come out of the camera tent and explain through a lapel to people at the game and those watching at home why the play does or doesn't stand. I think about this past Women's World Cup where the referee between Nigeria and England came out of the VAR stand and said that she was giving Lauren James a red card.
NFL has been using it for the longest, with very few dodgy calls. But then, that game is used to waits in between plays.
The nfl is not good! Tennis would be the better sport to look at
Just let the ref and linesman make their calls, and unless there is absolute evidence that they got it wrong, leave it as it is. If it takes minutes to look over or requires someone else to make a judgement call in any way such as with offsides now when they're remotely close, it's marginal and you stick with the ref's decision.
The company that does VAR does the tech for other sports too, this is completely feasible
All you need is to learn from rugby and cricket. We all know what is happening unlike In VAR
Pl referee's ego will get hurt. So none will be taken 😂
Honestly I think the changes needed to do are pretty clear. Pause the chronometer when injuries, changed or VAR calls are ongoing, leave the rest exactly the way they are. It'll work IMO.
Last one sounds crap
Just look at rugby
Tbh 'id like to see streamlined decisions because one week an incident could be deemed a red card but the next week a similar decision wouldn't be. It VARies to much… Its like kai havertz… Hit and miss… Except he hits and always misses…
Nothing from rugby’s Tmo?
What's the one change you want to see in how football uses VAR? 🤔