How VAR will be used in The Premier League

[Yewsman]

I don’t buy the “more profits for TV companies” argument. In principle it must be good to get the major or game changing decisions right. It works well in cricket, rugby and tennis. We have all seen terrible refereeing decisions in the past which have changed the result of games and all fans want surely is to get more key decisions correct.

There are however a lot of problems with the way VAR has been introduced and used.
1. Firstly the fans at the game don’t know what’s going on. Why can’t the referee’s deliberations be broadcast over the PA system (as in other sports) so everyone knows that the decision is being reviewed and what for?
2. There APPEARS TO BE no consistency in the application of VAR. One week no decisions are overturned the next week there are 4 penalties given for very dubious reasons. It seems that the PL (or whoever controls it) keep changing the advice on application.
3. The other problem is that its introduction coincided with supposed changes in the handball rule and also things like the goalkeeper must have a foot on the line at a penalty. Then apparently we are told this rule will not be enforced. Either you have the rule or you don’t. You surely can’t have a rule but then say it won’t be enforced.
4. The offside rule is clear but some of the decisions are so marginal as to be ridiculous. Players offside by a whisker when I don’t think the technology can actually be that accurate to show exactly “when the ball is played”. Surely there needs to be something like Umpires call for lbw decisions in cricket if the on field decision is “goal” but a player is shown to be offside by a small margin (say 10 or 20 cms).
5. Why is that the referees never seem to bother using the pitch side monitor?
5. No one, the fans, the pundits, the referees or the VAR officials seem to know how it works and how it should be applied, hence the decisions are even more inconsistent than those under the previous regime where it was just up to the on field ref.

In my view the thing should be suspended and the authorities need to address all the above problems and sort them out properly before re-introducing it on a more acceptable basis. Or do we just scrap it completely?

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Another issue I have is the assistants. There seems to be a reluctance to flag unless blatantly obvious with the belief that VAR will overturn if wrong which is ok except that relies on an almost immediate goal. Yesterday there was a point where a Burnley player was clearly offside but didn’t score and the ball went out for a corner. If they had scored from the corner then the offside would not have been looked at despite the fact it actually indirectly led to the goal. IMO VAR has led to dithering from these officials where before they would have just called it and far from helping them has actually hindered them.

 

[KeyffSmyff]

Certainly is a dogs breakfast, but can't think why the 'blame' lies anywhere other than the Premier League. It is their job to run all aspects of the league. It is like blaming Sky because they put money into the sport and wanting to rearrange fixtures, that is what the premier league is selling them.

 

[finlaytheblade]

The simple fact is that at the moment it’s a complete dogs breakfast.
It’s either setting the bar too high or too low. Offside by a fraction of an inch or actually onside but because the linesman flagged its off

It’s hurting my head

Var cancelled out a goal by Firmino yesterday which was ridiculous must have been his hand and lower arm which was offside ! Joke of a decision. These are the kind of decisions which bring VAR into disripute.
A meeting between all stake holders in this is needed quickly.
VAR can be great if used properly.

 

[Addison]

After a good start VAR has suddenly gone backwards because the referees have caved into pressure that it wasn't changing the referee on the pitch's decision. As a result last week we had the farcical situation where it suddenly began overturning decisions en masse after a referees meeting. Those who apply the rules are at fault headed by one of the poorest refs ever to walk onto the pitch in Mr I'm always right and your always wrong Mike Riley.

Riley decided refs were not going to use pitch side monitors at the beginning of the season to avoid further delays yet that kills the principle of VAR where a review of a decision is made allowing the ref to reconsider. We are now left with VAR officials deciding outcomes and it really depends who you get on the day as to what decision they come up with.

Take yesterday for example Rodriguez throws himself to the floor and the ref's decision no pen is confirmed, rightly so IMO having been sat directly in front of the player. Yet the Watford player does a delayed reaction free fall against Chelsea and a penalty is given. The ball hits JOC's arm again good decision no pen. Yet if that had been an forward who had then put the ball in the net it would have been disallowed.

VAR has only really hurt us once against Southampton so far. Unfortunately we will be on the end of a bad decision sooner or later and I can't see it changing whilst the likes of Riley are instrumental in determining how it should be applied.

 

[Geordie Blade]

I'll have a go at this. VAR is a TV drama isn't it? Where it adds to the on screen drama whilst people who attend the game live are effectively "locked out" of the drama. It therefore tilts the fans towards watching the TV drama just a little more and that is good for TV profits.

I'm surprised that you are doubting that the introduction of using TV cameras to review decisions isn't totally media driven. It puts them even further centre stage, gives them more to debate etc. etc. and moves watching sport more even more to being a TV event.

That’s fine, but it implies that the majority of fans do like VAR (as you say, it adds to the drama).

It can’t work both ways. It can’t be that (the majority of) fans don’t like it, yet it increases viewing figures.

 

[blade67]

That’s fine, but it implies that the majority of fans do like VAR (as you say, it adds to the drama).

It can’t work both ways. It can’t be that (the majority of) fans don’t like it, yet it increases viewing figures.

Yes, fair point. I think there is a difference between "match goers" and "TV fans". It currently does very little/nothing to improve the match going experience, and probably makes it worse in many respects, especially around goal celebrations - I'm thinking the disallowed Mcburnie goal especially.

As a TV football watcher, it might add something and that is why TV is pushing for it. It may be that we are debating two different points. I don't think that TV / EPL have been dragged to deliver this by fan demands. It's very much the other way around, where they feel they have to do it to keep adding new stuff.

Going off topic a bit , but the TV soaps like Coronation Street / Emerdale didn't turn from character driven tales of everyday life into the crazy plot driven nonsense of today because the viewers demanded it. It was a top down decision to change the offer / drive a change that led that change and this just feels the same. The fact that many "consumers" just go along with it, and the reasons for that are not a debate for a football forum, however depressing the answers might be

 

[Northyorksblade]

And if you were at Bramall Lane yesterday, you'll recall that Burnley had a shout for "handball" in our area. The ball then went out for a throw-in, and the ref held up play, whilst he waited and listened on his earpiece, as to whether the mysterious VAR referee, thought it was a handball. Meanwhile, over 30,000 people were just left in limbo, with no information about what was going on, and the game was delayed by the best part of a minute, just for that one, "Non-incident".

No. I don't like it.

And yet, six substitutions, a couple of stoppages for injuries, a bit of time wasting and that VAR delay and there were only 3 minutes time added on. Not that I'm complaining. Perhaps the ref wanted to put Burnley out of their misery.

 

[Yewsman]

Var cancelled out a goal by Firmino yesterday which was ridiculous must have been his hand and lower arm which was offside ! Joke of a decision. These are the kind of decisions which bring VAR into disripute.
A meeting between all stake holders in this is needed quickly.
VAR can be great if used properly.

According to the Sunday Times report it was Firmino’s armpit which was in front of “the line”. Classic example of (as finlay says) a decision that brings it into disrepute.