I think we need to put more positive pressure on referees when they are reviewing the VAR so they will make the right decision.
7 Likes
4 Likes
1 Like
Right I’ve been discussing this in the Rugby thread with @Flobs but I think it’s worth posting here and I would urge everyone to watch a perfect example of how VAR should work.
Watch the video below from 10 seconds in. Sadly it’s been cut so it doesn’t include the discussion between the officials (all of them) and the video assistant. It is also the video assistant the brings the incident to the attention of the referee who (they are miced) can be heard saying that the initial contact was fine.
The decision reached is 100% right in line with the laws but it’s reached properly and through discussion but the referee still has the final say. It also changed his mind. When I see this in Rugby and then watch the VAR disaster in football it is honestly heartbreaking. The same protocols would work perfectly well across both sports.
3 Likes
Even in Rugby VAR doesn’t always operate as it should though 
No but that’s in a massive minority but then there’s fall back system of the citing system. Which Bernard was picked up for.
The comparison between video refereeing in rugby to football is like chalk and cheese.
But of course you knew that already 
You’re right, I did
Unbelievable that even after being cited he got off for that though!
I still believe that having the referee mic’d up would make a massive difference both in terms of the behaviour of the players and in terms of bringing clarity to the review process.
1 Like
I agree, it would be a step forward but I also believe it needs a procedural change that places the final decision on the head of the referee and puts the video guy, 200 miles away into an advisory role only.
it bugs me that they have this system that works, they can look at and learn from but football decided they could do it better and came up with an utter hodge podge of a process that makes particle physics look like my 6 year olds homework.
There’s a problem with the standard of refereeing as well though that needs to be urgently addressed. We’ve seen twice in the last couple of weeks a decision taken by the onfield referee, with the benefit of reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, subsequently being overturned several days later on appeal.
That should not be happening. It’s insane.
4 Likes
This. The root cause here isn’t the application of VAR - it’s the widespread incompetence of PL referees and assistants. Obviously no-one is perfect and people are human, but it’s honestly embarrassing how bad PL referees are on the whole. What makes it worse is the seeming lack of accountability for bad refereeing and their constant shielding from criticism or scrutiny.
3 Likes
Cant disagree with you there either. I’ll have to work harder to make sure it doesn’t become a trend
All the more reason to give the existing referee’s as much help as possible but of course there’s only so much you can do with this current batch
1 Like
yeah, I’d put VAR as the cherry put on top of all of that
1 Like
Well, it’s like a computer program, right? You put garbage in, you get garbage out. If the inputs to the system (shite PF referees) is garbage, then you can’t expect the outputs to be any better.
1 Like
yep but I’d also argue the garbage extends higher upward just the referee’s. It takes a special kind of stupid to create VAR in its current form.
4 Likes
2 Likes
Interesting, probably one of the first I’ve seen Johnson be quite critical of.
2 Likes
Good thread and goes to prove that the rules are a load of hog wash, the procedure and people running VAR are utterly clueless. The technology is fine, its doing what is being asked of it.
1 Like
Aside from the fact that the line drawing is a load of balls for the offside goal, any of our players deciding to wear boots that blend into the fucking grass need to be banned from our half of the pitch.
2 Likes
I’d ban the lines if a ref in the room can’t see a legit reason to overturn the decision on the pitch it is given.
Problem is there are plenty of good decisions but they outweigh the utterly atrocious ones.
I think the problem was summed up by that Villa vs Sheff Utd match on restart date. Something is wrong with the technology obviously it shows the ball is clearly in the net and yet they do nothing. Because they didn’t know they could overrule it.
Maybe Bournemouth wouldn’t have stayed up, maybe Villa would have, but that was the whole reason it came in, not to judge offsides in which a shoe lace is offside.
2 Likes
You’ve answered the question yourself, it’s not the tech…but incompetance by the human ref team. Recent example in the Dale Johnson twitter thread:
*On the Harry Maguire penalty incident, let’s start by covering the clear offside. *
Basically the VAR, Lee Mason, forgot to check it as part of due process. If he had done so, we could have avoided the use of the monitor by the referee.
Who ate all the pies forgot to check. Case closed.
1 Like