It is the most significant step forward for the beautiful game since the introduction of red cards 50 years ago, and arguably the most controversial amendment to the laws of association football in living history. The use of the Video Assistant Referee (or VAR) in this season’s Premier League has divided fans, players and pundits like no other issue – and even with the current campaign in suspension, continues to be hotly debated.
But is VAR really the demon some have made it out to be? Are its faults being exaggerated, and is what we have seen so far simply the teething problems of a technology that will ultimately make matches fairer, players better, and football itself a more enjoyable fan experience?
Neil Swarbrick, the Premier League referees’ lead on VAR, believes the negativity has been overstated. When asked by BBC Sport how he’d rate this season’s VAR performance, he gave it “around about a sevenish” out of 10, adding: “We have more decisions correct with VAR than without it. If the mark now is seven – early days – in two years’ time I’m hoping for maybe an eight-and-a-half or nine.”
Others have been less kind. TV presenter and football pundit Danny Baker describes the technology as “trying to perfect football like CDs tried to perfect music in the 80s. But we like vinyl. We like a few pops and crackles in our art.”
For most football lovers, VAR would seem to be a brand-new addition to the game – but the truth is the technology has been developing for longer than many think. It was first mock-trialled in the Erdivisie, the Netherlands’ top-flight league, back in 2012, before going “live” there in 2016. By the following season it was also a regular part of Major League Soccer in America, as well as the Bundesliga in Germany and Serie A in Italy.
In 2018 VAR was used in every game of that summer’s World Cup; and perhaps it is no coincidence that it holds the record as being the cleanest World Cup since 1986 – as well as recording the highest tally of goals scored by penalty of any World Cup ever.
So what changed with the Premier League this season? Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has suggested that the time taken to check for VAR decisions has put many off, even adding that there should be a one-minute deadline for decisions.
Will Leighton at The One Glove, which makes gloves for many top-flight goalkeepers including Martin Dubravka of Newcastle United and Republic of Ireland keeper Rob Elliot, says that the initial frustration with delays was not limited to fans.
“I think at the start it was a little frustrating for teams to be waiting longer periods of time to see a decision made,” he says. “Players want the right result, but with it being such an emotional game, frustrations will play a part if something doesn’t go your way – if you believe you have scored and celebrated with teammates and fans for two minutes and then it’s chalked off after, it’s not a nice feeling. Players don’t want to be waiting around, they want to play.”
Official statistics, however, seem to contradict the impression that decisions are taking an age to come through. There have been an average of around six VAR checks per game in the Premier League this season – with the average delay for a check around 30 seconds. Additionally, there has been only one overturned decision every four or so games – with the delay in those cases being around one minute 15 seconds on average.
The other sticking point with VAR has been the apparent reluctance of referees to use the pitchside screen, with former Manchester City player Micah Richards saying: “They’ve got major decisions wrong and they are hiding behind VAR. This all can be eradicated if the referee just goes and looks at the screen. If the referee looks at the screen and it’s his final decision, then you have to hold your hands up.”
Leighton agrees that the pitchside screen is currently being underused. “It’s still a personal decision even after all the checks,” he says. “I think the ref should use the monitors on the field more – and we could certainly benefit from some better explanations to fans over the big screen.”
Ultimately, those working in the game agree, for the most part, that VAR is here to stay: and that the improvements that technology made to other sports such as cricket, tennis and rugby will, ultimately be seen in the beautiful game too.
“Many other sports have embraced tech and it’s now just part of every fixture – there’s no reason issues with VAR can’t be ironed out and for it to become a key part of football,” says Leighton.
“Other sports use solutions including Hot Spot, a bit of cricket tech that uses infrared cameras to see whether the ball has hit the batsman, his pads or the bat itself. And ultimately, for many fans the discussion generated by a tech-based decision adds excitement and also helps alleviate worries that refs are being influenced by player protests.”
Swarbrick insists that technology will improve football – for fans and players alike. “It took rugby union six or seven years to get to that position,” he says. “That doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve just got to give us time.”
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