If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to get under the skin of football managers, players and fans alike, it’s the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Whilst the use of VAR has now become an accepted practice worldwide, there appear to be so many flaws with the interpretation of the system, that it’s turned many people away from the game.
One of the issues doesn’t appear to stem from the technology itself but from the VAR’s reading of certain situations.
If we recall before it was implemented, the powers that be were strident in their view that the only time VAR was to be invoked was when there were ‘clear and obvious’ errors.
In practice, it appears that every little detail is being pored over, and that has sucked the life out of the game.
As a result, Premier League chief football officer, Tony Scholes, has admitted that changes could be afoot.
“VAR is and remains a very effective tool in supporting the match officials on the pitch… but clearly everything in the world of VAR is not perfect,” he was quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.
“We’re aware of that and we know that we have work to do.
“There are two elements that I believe affect the whole reputation of VAR. [First] is the time that it takes to do the reviews, or to do the checks. We’re doing too many checks, we’re taking too long doing them as well.
“It’s to a degree understandable given the level of scrutiny these guys are under, but the reviews are taking too long and it’s affecting the flow of the game.
“The second area where the VAR experience is poor is the in-stadium experience for the supporter. It’s nowhere near good enough. We know it’s not. It affects supporters’ enjoyment of the game, and we know it needs to change.”
Though much of what Scholes says will be welcomed, news that the Premier League still won’t confirm that the semi-automated VAR used so successfully in the World Cup will make it’s debut in the English top-flight next season will arguably be met with a shrug of the shoulders and no little disdain from those who pay their hard-earned every week only to see their enjoyment of the game ruined.
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