VAR Vote

[Working Class Hero]

Even if it works well, is VAR worth it though? I just can't see how it improves football or the experience of watching games.

I think everyone agrees it makes the fan's experience worse. The majority of players and managers don't like it either. It doesn't take away any controversy and it certainly doesn't help referees.

Most people would also agree that football was better before 2019.

So why is VAR here?

 

[Selly]

Also, excellent system for a ten minute review of yellows to reds when appropriate, the game continues and the player is punished proportionately.

This works in rugby because a yellow is 10 mins in the Sin Bin - so no one is disadvantaged by them taking the time to potentially upgrade to a red.

Imagine the fallout the first week a player, having just got a yellow, scores, and is then upgraded to a red - the cries of "he shouldn`t even have been on te pitch" would be deafening.

Your other points about the RWC are spot on - key for me is that
- the final decision rests with the onfield ref, and there's no "going over to the monitor" - the ref sees what the rest of the stadium see on the big screen and makes a decision on this.
- the onfield ref can ask for the TV ref to show him something again

It removes the undermining of the onfield ref we have now - and is fully transparent - and everyone is clear who has made the decision. Even if the current system isn`t corrupt, the fact that the decision making process isn`t transparent leaves it open to all sorts of those accusations.

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

It’s as simple as it’s always been—fuck VAR.

That is all.

 

[blade67]

I'd scrap officials and have AI referees. It's the officials that's the problem.

2 big decisions this weekend - Newcastle's goal and United's penalty.
VAR has been taking a bashing over both. But it's not actually VAR at fault.

It's there to overturn "Clear and obvious" mistakes.

The on field referee's gave both the goal (Newcastle) and the penalty (us). VAR's didn't have enough evidence to overturn either decision, so went with the initial decision in both games

Agreed that any mistake in these decisions isn't VARs fault, so all the hand ringing is just media huff and puff as usual.

VAR doesn't really enhance my football experience though.

Part of the fun of football is for home crowds to intimidate the officials so they become jibbering wrecks and fold. Harder to do when 50% of the refereeing team are sat in a soundproof booth in Watford (or wherever it is).

 

[blade67]

I cannot say I've had the slightest bit of reduced excitement celebrating goals with VAR being introduced

A better answer to this is for the VAR lines to take into effort a margin of error. (Make the lines thicker, to reflect the margin of error that must be there). If the lines cross, then its an "umpires call" and the original decision stands.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

To my mind VAR is fools gold for those seeking absolute perfection in officiating.

 

[GodricBlade]

For me, it’s taken more out of football than it’s put in.
Leave it to the officials on the pitch to get it right as often as they can. Invest in them to keep them developing & stick to Hawkeye for goal-line stuff and ins/outs.
I get no pleasure waiting to see if it’s a pen/goal/red or not. Endless drawing of lines for offside? No thanks - let the lino make the decision & accept it.
Will there be bad calls? Of course there will but that’s all part of football to me.
I voted to scrap it, by the way…..

 

[Working Class Hero]

I cannot say I've had the slightest bit of reduced excitement celebrating goals with VAR being introduced

Do you go to games or watch from home, out of interest?

 

[jt64]

Do you go to games or watch from home, out of interest?

I'm a season ticket holder

 

[derfblade.3]

Before var it was all swings and roundabouts. Some decisions you won and some you lost but it was accepted as part of the game and something to have a chat about in the ground or after in the pub.Now the only thing we talk about is "did VAR get a decision right". What's the point of it all. To me it's ruining the beautiful game.

 

[BobblesBlade]

They could just ask sky tv ( and other footy channels) to rewind and check any tough calls.

 

[BobblesBlade]

Why not have 100 linesman and 20 refs.

 

[TopBoy]

VAR was sold to us as a way to resolve "clear and obvious mistakes". The kind of mistakes that happen maybe half a dozen times a season. What we've got is VAR involvement in all major decisions.
As I expected, VAR has improved nothing and made lots of things worse.

 

[bakeblade]

VAR was sold to us as a way to resolve "clear and obvious mistakes". The kind of mistakes that happen maybe half a dozen times a season. What we've got is VAR involvement in all major decisions.
As I expected, VAR has improved nothing and made lots of things worse.

Spurs game is typical, constant stoppages for VAR checks. The shitshow needs binning it's killing the game.

 

[100% part time blade]

I cannot say I've had the slightest bit of reduced excitement celebrating goals with VAR being introduced

I have. I’ve told this story before on here. My lad started watching blades in league 1 age about 9(?). He thinks watching Yeovil is normal. About 5 years later he’s stood next to me watching us play Man Utd barely able to contain himself that the players he’s known from FIFA packs are on the pitch and (for a time) getting beaten by us. It’s a great game, with 5 goals already and then a fantastic last equaliser.

We should be diving all over the place together going mad.

What actually happens is I turn to him and say, “Hit McBurnie’s arm. Won’t count. Var will overturn that for definite.” He looks like he’s been punched in the guts, and we sit there for 4 minutes while VAR checks it and then … it’s a goal, and we sort of clap a bit.

I’m not getting that moment back. Without VAR, that would have been one of the best moments of our blade-watching days together so far. But it wasn’t.

On the other hand, Duffy scores his bounce-killer goal, and we go bananas together - difference? There’s no VAR in the championship. You know when that hits the net and ref points to the centre circle that’s a goal. Done. Cue pandemonium. That is the ENTIRE point of football: moments - not points or even league positions necessarily, but moments.
And VAR takes them away. I despise it and would vote to get rid of it in every poll forever.

 

[jt64]

I have. I’ve told this story before on here. My lad started watching blades in league 1 age about 9(?). He thinks watching Yeovil is normal. About 5 years later he’s stood next to me watching us play Man Utd barely able to contain himself that the players he’s known from FIFA packs are on the pitch and (for a time) getting beaten by us. It’s a great game, with 5 goals already and then a fantastic last equaliser.

We should be diving all over the place together going mad.

What actually happens is I turn to him and say, “Hit McBurnie’s arm. Won’t count. Var will overturn that for definite.”

So you didn't celebrate because you spotted the foul, the same way you wouldn't have celebrated if the game was in the Championship because the foul would have been given in real time? VAR has changed what?

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think people are being incredibly naive and reactive.

Does anyone remember before VAR, there were plenty of black and white clear mistakes, now with VAR these mistakes are rare.

I hear you say…rare….it’s errors every week. The arguable errors every week are judgement based what are 50/50 or 60/40 opinion based. I can give examples, in the studio every time there’s a dodgy decision, after watching numerous replays from different angles the pundits who are supposed experts still can’t agree.

Remember when Spurs needed to beat Sporting Lisbon 2 year back to quality for the final stages of the Chanpiond league, Kane scored a last gasp winner, the stadium erupted with incredible scenes however VAR said Kane foot was offside in thr build up. Even with clear video evidence the decision was correct Conte argued that disallowing that goal prevented a special moment so it was a disgrace for VAR to disallow, then he said if it was Real Madrid in that situation VAR would have allowed it.

Virtually every fan is totalky bias and just want the rules to work in their favour.

Judgemental decisions happen every match. If the Newcastle goal has been disallowed there will have been plenty of Newcastle fans complaining about VAR. if we didn’t get that last minute penalty our fans would have screamed about incompetent referee and terrible VAR because there was contact on Baldock.

The problem is which ever manager or fans lose out from a 50/50 decision then the ref/VAR will be blamed.

Also think It’s all down to expectation, VAR is 98% correct, not 100% but some people prefer using only a ref where they are 85% correct and there’s some massive injustices, like Henry handball for France knocking out Ireland.

Think it’s more to do with the self entitled/ complaining/ over exaggeration culture.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Never been a fan of it and this isn't just based on this absolute fucking farce tonight it it reduces games to stop start jokes.

That automated offisde would be a improvement but for so much it's subjective and impossible to get right yet stops the game for ages

 

[100% part time blade]

So you didn't celebrate because you spotted the foul, the same way you wouldn't have celebrated if the game was in the Championship because the foul would have been given in real time? VAR has changed what?

In the championship, it would have been given as a goal immediately (ref thought it hit high enough to not be handball). Everyone celebrates together like mad.

In the premier league, it was given as a goal (ref thought it hit high enough to not be handball).
But VAR then took over, and in the last few weeks before that game anything that touched an arm had been given as handball, and this looked like it touched his arm, and I - along with most around me - immediately expected it to be overturned. Surprisingly it wasn’t, and 4 minutes later the goal stood, and we were pleased.

VAR hugely changed the experience of the moment.

 

[ancientblade]

Never been a fan of it and this isn't just based on this absolute fucking farce tonight it it reduces games to stop start jokes.

That automated offisde would be a improvement but for so much it's subjective and impossible to get right yet stops the game for ages

this spurs v chelsea game is what our top division has become players just throwing themselves to the ground every single challenge feigning injury absolutely pathetic

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think it’s more to do with the self entitled/ complaining/ over exaggeration culture.

Also think it’s the media revelling in stirring the pot. I remember when that that Harry Kane last minute goal was correctly disallowed the headline were “VAR taking destroying our game”, “kill joy” etc etc.

Here’s me thinking surely refs and VAR are there to make correct decisions not take into account if it was a great goal or great moment and if it is then allow it.

Even after watching replays showing Kane was clearly offside Conte was still calling the VAR decision a disgrace.

 

[S6Blademan]

Don’t actually hate VAR actually coming round to liking it

Makes the games have much more drama

 

[NuddysGloves]

Automated offsides. Works for UEFA and FIFA

This this and this again! I can't get my head around why the Premier League declined that technology at the start of the season. How can they market themselves as the best league in the world if they don't have the best technology in the world available!

 

[Servigliano]

I think everyone agrees it makes the fan's experience worse. The majority of players and managers don't like it either. It doesn't take away any controversy and it certainly doesn't help referees.

Most people would also agree that football was better before 2019.

So why is VAR here?

More controversy = more money for pundits, faceless tec/computer people, Sky, advertising, talksport etc.
Sadly it seems here to stay just for those reasons.
I'd scrap it and spend the money saved on trying to get better/ex pro referees.
Most players, managers and people who actually watch matches by attending games ie proper fans, I think would scrap it.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

I’ve said it 1000 times, use VAR as a referral tool. Every decision is 100% on field but each captain has a referral per half. And they can refer for anything I.e. that penalty was a dive or that yellow card should be a red etc

 

[JohnDenver]

Where’s the “it’s fucking shit” option?

 

[scouseblade]

This this and this again! I can't get my head around why the Premier League declined that technology at the start of the season. How can they market themselves as the best league in the world if they don't have the best technology in the world available!

Drawing lines makes up the drama.....

 

[scouseblade]

Take last nights made game for example. VAR pretty much got everything right - I personally think Romero should have gone before his red anyway BUT other than that it was correct. Now you can argue all day long about the very tight offsides but when it comes to it, as long as those working VAR are using it correctly and are providing the ref with the right decision (see Luis Diaz) then I don't have a problem with the offside. You either are or you arent, even if it is a knats bollock. The subjective stuff is where the system is falling down because you are asking another human to check another human potential failure. They should in most circumstances stick with the onfield decision unless it is a proper rick. Not try and re-ref the game.

 

[From the pig end]

I can't believe there's a single fan out there that wants VAR.
even when it's 'fixed' it's an absolute atmosphere killer.

 

[blade too long]

its giving too many cooks,

the newcastle game shows ball in or out cant even be verifiable
but the main problem is 3 or 4 minute breaks in play. a spurs player pulled a hamstring after cooling down too much after a long break
and the technology should not take so long to draw lines on offside
but the main change has been its taking the in the opinion of the ref away from the game
its not assisting the ref its giving him"options" like maybe a handball or red or yellow cards with massive guidance from video refs swaying heavily the refs authority. not black and white issues but opinions they see differently
"here ref just look at this in slow motion it can be construed as as deliberate" is pressurising refs into choices never given before from a person with a different opinion