12 Apr 2021 20:33:03
Question for ed002 if you don't mind, is there any chance that clubs could uturn and vote var out of the game in all countries or has too much been invested and its here to stay. Is there any talks amongst clubs to get rid of it. Hi

I mean, I wasn't sure how it would turn out but now it's clear football is too slow and not high scoring enough for it. Its killing goals and I literally never celebrate goals anymore. The delays is absolutely killing the experience. For me it's a huge pity if its here to stay as its been a massive step back for football experience.

{Ed002's Note - No the clubs just want consistent application and errors removed.}

12 Apr 2021 22:39:41
Does the use of var totally depend on whether the clubs want it or not ed? Feel as though most fans are sick of it, even if it was applied better (which I'm not sure is possible as I don't think you can take human error out of many decisions) it just takes the emotion out of the game.

So many decisions are 50/ 50 or debatable as well, even if it is applied more consistently, what is the point? would rather the ref made a mistake than var and we don't have to second guess every goal.

{Ed002's Note - No.}

12 Apr 2021 23:25:15
The errors for me are not the main problem. It's pure crap checking every goal and waiting for decisions.

I know I'm probably more put off by it than some but would love if fans of every club would protest by not watching one weekend every month to hit ratings.

As you may have noticed I absolutely hate var.

13 Apr 2021 01:13:35
Do you think a review system could work? The captain can take the advice of other players like cricket, and have a window after play has stopped (Ie a goal) . They have to say what they are reviewing. ie is ABC offside. not just find a fault. 3 reviews a match, if it’s wrong you lose it.

13 Apr 2021 08:07:29
The review system works if applied properly and esp in good faith BUT it is not regarding the PL. The way VAR is being applied in the PL is killing football. They say the incident has to be clear and obvious. Well if it took you 4 minutes to check if there was an offside on Jota vs Villa or Willian Jose vs Fulham then clearly, it is not clear and obvious so that standard literally means nothing.

Also, they rule offside as being objective YET they admit that they do not have the tech to clearly determine that YET they use that standard anyway so guys are offside by their armpits (a new standard created out of whole cloth) or offside by the PL badge on their sleeves. No other top league uses these pathetic standards, don’t use the line drawing stuff nor judge offsides as objective and so on.

VAR is not perfect but it can work to mitigate against bad decisions if well implemented and we see it in the CL and other leagues. It is PL that is killing football. Not VAR.

13 Apr 2021 08:27:14
For me I would get rid of Var. How can you have something in one league in England and then the other 100 plus leagues professional and even down to grass roots doesn’t have it.

The game of football is loved because it can be watched by all and played by all. Var makes it to much of a division and far less enjoyable for me. I can’t remember the last time I properly celebrated a goal. That emotion is the single handed best emotion throughout the whole of football.

Any football with Var is losing its identity. The same identity it’s had for hundreds and hundreds of years.

13 Apr 2021 10:57:22
Agree completely jk and well said. It needs to go completely. It was a mistake. I get why it was introduced. I don't blame anyone but now is the time to say it was a mistake and get rid before investing any more.

13 Apr 2021 11:26:18
Some really good points being made here.

JK23 - I see your point about VAR only being applied at the top level of the sport but that is normal with any application of video refereeing or similar in sport. In cricket, for example, not even the top level of domestic professional cricket (the County Championship) has the Decision Review System, but international cricket does. Same in rugby, tennis. I don't see that alone as a reason not to have it.

The point about "clear and obvious" is an interesting one. I guess you can apply that to some decisions like fouls or red-card reviews but ultimately there is always going to be an element of subjectivity about whether something is clear and obvious. At what point does something go from marginal to clear and obvious. You could put some guiding principles in place, but it will still be subjective and I think video checks or referrals in sport only work really well when the subjectivity can be removed or minimised - i. e. on clear line decisions (nobody every argues about a video check for whether the ball crossed the line or not, because it's an exact and completely scientific verdict, where nothing is left to personal opinion or interpretation) .

Captain or manager referrals work very well in cricket. I don't know how well it work in football. A captain's referral would be there to ask for a video review of something that the on-field referee had missed or got wrong. I don't think that this is the problem that needs fixing because most things, arguably too many things, do get reviewed. It's the decision that then comes out of the review which is where the system seems to be struggling.

With offsides, which is where most of the contention is coming from, they have tried to make it an exact science by use of the lines that are drawn across the graphic. That does take away the human interpretation, so I think with the offside decisions it's actually the system and rules that it's based on, rather than the human being looking at the VAR screen, that is causing the problem. On that basis, it should be easier to fix, but they need to come up with a set of rules or criteria for what constitutes offside. At the moment, I don't think they've got it right, which is why incidents like Jota on Saturday and Mane against Everton earlier this season (and countless others for other teams throughout the season) are ruled offside. Personally I think the position of the feet would be a good place to start. i. e if any part of the defenders foot is behind the furthest forward part of the attackers foot, then it's onside. By making it about other body parts or going by the leading arm or shoulder if a player is leaning forward, they're actually potentially penalising a player just for being tall. e. g. if Peter Crouch and Michael Owen stood with their feet in exactly the same position looking to make an attacking run and were both leaning forward at the same angle, Crouch could be ruled offside whilst Owen would be ruled onside despite being stood in exactly the same position. I think foot position is where it could end up.

13 Apr 2021 13:09:09
just can't see a review system working in football. There are very few natural breaks for a captain to challenge a call. Would they allow a captain to run up to a ref to request a challenge mid-play? I'm sure some more thinking can go into it that may help make more sense, but right now I can't see it

Regards VAR and technology. I rekon the technology is fine. They just have numpties running the system.

13 Apr 2021 13:10:04
It’s ruined football. Killed the passion of a goal.

13 Apr 2021 14:07:50
Maybe the Ed’s will correct me here but aren’t they looking at an automated offside system now? I guess with a sensor in the ball to ascertain the exact moment it’s kicked along with lines that track the last defender and attacker could work and would stop the is it, isn’t it nonsense after a goal is scored. No review just on or off according to the technology and hopefully instantaneous.
They have to do something as at the moment the human error element is killing the game. An on or offside can depend more on when the VAR freezes the frame than anything else. When a defender is running out and an attacker running in you’re talking split seconds that can make all the difference and there’s just no way that can be done manually to the millimetre like they are doing at the moment.
Then you had the VAR putting the line to a shadow rather than Bobby’s foot against Leicester and allowing a blatantly offside goal which ultimately cost us 3 points.
VAR is supposed to make the game better and I’m afraid it’s just doing the opposite right now.

{Ed001's Note - FIFA have said that it will be in place for the World Cup.}

13 Apr 2021 14:36:33
Only problem is even with a review system it still brings the same final result. We’ve had 10 Var decisions go against us. Every single one of those decisions were reviewed and given against us. Wba would have asked for a review on their ridiculous disallowed goal last night but the decision would have been the same. A review system only changes how many incidents get reviewed a match as currently more or less everything gets reviewed currently. It will still give the same final decision.