VAR

[davek]

Video assistant referees (VAR)
How does video assistant referee improve the game?
Find out how VAR will be used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ at www.FIFA.com/VAR.

When is VAR used?
Three main incidents (plus one administrative) have been identified as game-changing.
- Goals
The role of the VAR is to assist the referee to determine whether there was an infringement that means a goal should not be awarded. As the ball has crossed the line, play is interrupted so there is no direct impact on the game.
- Penalty decisions
The role of the VAR is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with the award or non-award of a penalty kick.
- Direct red card incidents
The role of the VAR is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with sending off or not sending off a player.
- Mistaken identity
The referee cautions or sends off the wrong player, or is unsure which player should be sanctioned. The VAR will inform the referee so that the correct player can be disciplined.

How does video assistant referee (VAR) work?

Step 1
Incident occurs
The referee informs the VAR, or the VAR recommends to the referee that a decision/incident should be reviewed.
Step 2
Review and advice by the VAR
The video footage is reviewed by the VAR, who advises the referee via headset what the video shows.
Step 3
Decision or action is taken
The referee decides to review the video footage on the side of the field of play before taking the appropriate action/decision, OR the referee accepts the information from the VAR and takes the appropriate action/decision



I couldn't find that too easily when googling about. Any chance of stickying this in the thread? @GrandOldTeam

Step 1
Incident occurs
The referee informs the VAR, or the VAR recommends to the referee that a decision/incident should be reviewed.
Step 2
Review and advice by the VAR
The video footage is reviewed by the VAR, who advises the referee via headset what the video shows.
Step 3
Decision or action is taken
The referee decides to review the video footage on the side of the field of play before taking the appropriate action/decision, OR the referee accepts the information from the VAR and takes the appropriate action/decision.


This is where it all falls down for me. There is no "recommendation", there is no "advice", there is no referee "deciding" to review. There is an instruction from a VAR panel to the ref to go and look at an incident and the overwhelming pressure on the ref is to agree with it.

The wording of the official decision making process is Orwellian. The game in reality is now out of the hands of the referee and in the hands of 5/6 video reviewers who have goodness only what axes to grind or corporate connections and associations.

In short: the game with VAR in it is utterly knackered.

Scrap this utterly flawed system. It'll kill the game stone dead.

 

[Little Ralphy]

Step 1
Incident occurs
The referee informs the VAR, or the VAR recommends to the referee that a decision/incident should be reviewed.
Step 2
Review and advice by the VAR
The video footage is reviewed by the VAR, who advises the referee via headset what the video shows.
Step 3
Decision or action is taken
The referee decides to review the video footage on the side of the field of play before taking the appropriate action/decision, OR the referee accepts the information from the VAR and takes the appropriate action/decision.


This is where it all falls down for me. There is no "recommendation", there is no "advice", there is no referee "deciding" to review. There is an instruction from a VAR panel to the ref to go and look at an incident and the overwhelming pressure on the ref is to agree with it.

The wording of the official decision making process is Orwellian. The game in reality is now out of the hands of the referee and in the hands of 5/6 video reviewers who have goodness only what axes to grind or corporate connections and associations.

In short: the game with VAR in it is utterly knackered.

Scrap this utterly flawed system. It'll kill the game stone dead.

You honestly don't think it's been working well and getting most decisions right at this WC? The South Korean goal would have been disallowed for offside for a start and Germany may then have scored and gone through at the expense of Mexico.

I think VAR has been great and helped them get nearly all the big decisions correct, no one has been robbed so far. The problem is still poor referees in charge of games for me, and the system could be tweaked to enhance it, but in the main it's been very positive.

 

[davek]

You honestly don't think it's been working well and getting most decisions right at this WC? The South Korean goal would have been disallowed for offside for a start and Germany may then have scored and gone through at the expense of Mexico.

I think VAR has been great and helped them get nearly all the big decisions correct, no one has been robbed so far. The problem is still poor referees in charge of games for me, and the system could be tweaked to enhance it, but in the main it's been very positive.

Not just me who sees this system as flawed. It's a system that needs either severe restructuring or dumping.

 

[royalblue66]

Not just me who sees this system as flawed. It's a system that needs either severe restructuring or dumping.

Wasn't trialled enough is the way I see it, I e rush job.

 

[Brendan Janus]

I was in Berlin last week, & nobody mentioned 'The VAR' !!

 

[davek]

Wasn't trialled enough is the way I see it, I e rush job.

It needs simplfying and this is the way it should be done:

Ref decides on pitch to review anything he deems borderline in terms of pens, off-sides for goals, red cards. HE instigates the VAR process and no one else. And HE makes a decision without any verbal input from the VAR team.

The ref has to remain the sole arbiter of decision making. We dont have that now and that's why the game is in disrepute with the present VAR set up.

It's so obvious how to fix this, but they wont do that and I'll tell you why: they see football as a soap opera...a spectacle that throws up as many controversies as possible to make the game "interesting" and therefore a commodity they can attract others looking to wring out profits from elsewhere by associating their goods and services with this "spectacle".

The game is dead if they get away with this.

 

[Little Ralphy]

It needs simplfying and this is the way it should be done:

Ref decides on pitch to review anything he deems borderline in terms of pens, off-sides for goals, red cards. HE instigates the VAR process and no one else. And HE makes a decision without any verbal input from the VAR team.

The ref has to remain the sole arbiter of decision making. We dont have that now and that's why the game is in disrepute with the present VAR set up.

It's so obvious how to fix this, but they wont do that and I'll tell you why: they see football as a soap opera...a spectacle that throws up as many controversies as possible to make the game "interesting" and therefore a commodity they can attract others looking to wring out profits from elsewhere by associating their goods and services with this "spectacle".

The game is dead if they get away with this.

But the ref has already made a decision, and the game continues, the idea behind VAR is that someone else can review while the ref continues with the game and they can then advise him if he needs to review etc. It makes more sense the way it is now. It just needs better refs in charge of it.

The way you are advising is like the ref second guessing every decision he makes and wanting to check, it'd slow the game down too much.

I think it's been a success at the World Cup, and nothing about the soap opera you mention like the Portugal Iran game, but because it's produced the correct decisions when it was needed. Such as the South Korea goal.

 

[davek]

But the ref has already made a decision, and the game continues, the idea behind VAR is that someone else can review while the ref continues with the game and they can then advise him if he needs to review etc. It makes more sense the way it is now. It just needs better refs in charge of it.

The way you are advising is like the ref second guessing every decision he makes and wanting to check, it'd slow the game down too much.

I think it's been a success at the World Cup, and nothing about the soap opera you mention like the Portugal Iran game, but because it's produced the correct decisions when it was needed. Such as the South Korea goal.

That's NOT how it's being used. It's a command to go and look at the monitor and from that point it's difficult for them to maintain their position on an incident.

 

[roydo]

That's NOT how it's being used. It's a command to go and look at the monitor and from that point it's difficult for them to maintain their position on an incident.

The ref yesterday didnt change his mind when they suggested he looked at something. Cant remember the game mind.

I think on balance, its been ok. But its mandate has to be firmed up, as it seems the "clear and obvious" bit has become a bit blurred.

 

[davek]

The ref yesterday didnt change his mind when they suggested he looked at something. Cant remember the game mind.

I think on balance, its been ok. But its mandate has to be firmed up, as it seems the "clear and obvious" bit has become a bit blurred.

Yes, he stood firm. And I think it may come down to arbitrary stuff about a ref's standing in the game or the time they have left at the top and cant be intimidated by VAR. That just isn't good enough. Back to the drawing board this has to go. You cant tweak this as season's go by from game to game. It;s going to cost some team a trophy.

 

[roydo]

Yes, he stood firm. And I think it may come down to arbitrary stuff about a ref's standing in the game or the time they have left at the top and cant be intimidated by VAR. That just isn't good enough. Back to the drawing board this has to go. You cant tweak this as season's go by from game to game. It;s going to cost some team a trophy.

Well its more likely that Non VAR system could cost a team a trophy. Wasnt it Spain who wouldnt have qualified out of their group without VAR?

But yeah, game by game tweaking would be wrong. Clear mandate, with VAR being seen for what is is, "Assistance" to the reffing team, (like cricket and rugby is), and then sound.

 

[davek]

Well its more likely that Non VAR system could cost a team a trophy. Wasnt it Spain who wouldnt have qualified out of their group without VAR?

But yeah, game by game tweaking would be wrong. Clear mandate, with VAR being seen for what is is, "Assistance" to the reffing team, (like cricket and rugby is), and then sound.

Fair point. Plenty of other examples too. However, that just begs the question that if we can have incompetence under both systems why make the time consuming change?

 

[roydo]

Fair point. Plenty of other examples too. However, that just begs the question that if we can have incompetence under both systems why make the time consuming change?

Well that comes back to a firm mandate. Linnear decisons, offside, over the line, it works perfectly. Clear and obvious should be ok as well.

Its when interpretation comes in that the problems arise. The Ronaldo yellow or red discussion springs to mind. As long as the final decision is the on field refs, then fine. VAR can suggest he takes another look, but under no circumstances should VAR overrule a refs interpretation of a non linnear decision.

 

[Ring master]

I dont like VAR at all,but if they did use it non stop,they for me should look at how the NRL bunker review system works,for those that know that,for me that works very well,though even that,some decisions are not reviewed that probably should be

 

[davek]

Well that comes back to a firm mandate. Linnear decisons, offside, over the line, it works perfectly. Clear and obvious should be ok as well.

Its when interpretation comes in that the problems arise. The Ronaldo yellow or red discussion springs to mind. As long as the final decision is the on field refs, then fine. VAR can suggest he takes another look, but under no circumstances should VAR overrule a refs interpretation of a non linnear decision.

...and that's the key point (and one that VAR never settles)...it just widens interpretation out to include more people.