Video technology (VAR) in football

[Phoebica]

30 seconds. Watch it from a few angles. If it’s not obvious, then leave decision with on field ref. Offsides the same, if you can’t tell straightaway, then allow the goal.

[Trion]

30 seconds is a lot in football though.

[Phoebica]

Better than the 4 and half minutes they spent on an offside decision this weekend

[Trion]

Wait do you mean 30 seconds allotted for review or 30 seconds of gameplay to be reviewed?

[Phoebica]

For review. As in VAR look at it for 30 seconds.

[Trion]

I was talking about how far the VAR should look at sequences leading to the goal (if at all we want to go down that route.)

[Joshua]

@shamrockgooner

Yea sounds terrible. They should stop reviewing all goals.

I think they need to review every goal but change the criteria of what’s reviewable. It should also be clear that attacking players should have the advantage on close offsides decisions, but the way they do offsides is a total mess.

[Stroller]

The problem we have with offside now is it wiped out being level was onside.
Now from time to time a tv freeze frame would be all we would see.
Most people would accept that without any daylight as being level and therefore onside. What we have done now is made if totally finite and sucked any spontaneity out of the moment. We have all since this concept gone through the motion at times of not reacting but looking towards the ref before celebrating a goal now. It’s a massive part of enjoyment sucked out of the sport.

[Trion]

@Stroller

gone through the motion at times of not reacting but looking towards the ref before celebrating a goal now.

Is it though?
I see 3 phases

1. Jubilation - fans celebrating, players celebrating
2. Anxiety - being worried about offside
3. Disappointment/Relief

I go through more emotions than before. I rather enjoy all of it when it is done right, even if it is against us.
I haven’t noticed anyone not celebrating a goal.

I will take this over incorrect offside decisions that would give an unfair result to a team.

[Stroller]

It’s the definition of incorrect that’s the issue though that’s the problem.
Clear and obvious has been hijacked by the clinical minute detailing.
This is probably the biggest crux of the whole argument.
It’s the implementation of this aspect which is causing the issues.

[SeanG79]

@Stroller

Clear and obvious has been hijacked by the clinical minute detailing.

100% this! You cannot issue a directive of “clear and obvious” and then slow down to 1 frame per second and freeze frame to find any possible excuse to find a problem (selectively because it only seems to happen when it suits).

I have no issue with the off sides as such, but feel the lines should be even thicker, with benefit given to the attacking player. In game incidents leading to goals need to be clear and obvious and it is neither clear nor obvious when after the fact it completely divides opinions of independent observers with no “skin in the game”.

[Varunn]

The way offsides are currently being judged is ridiculous. They are making these decisions well within the margin of error and have taken the advantage away from the attacker. In almost all cases the attacker will be leaning forward and by default will be in offside even if he/ she is level with the defender.

[Jules]

The Brentford decision? That was one of the worst decisions of the weekend, even though they got it right.

How it took them nearly five minutes to see that wasn’t offside is beyond me. You could see in real time that it was headed back by a defender.

[Stroller]

@Bavin

@Trion

Odegaard did commit a foul there so VAR is correct.
My issue with that call is it sets a precedent.
Odegaard’s foul was 4th action prior to the goal (foul, Saka’s pass, Martinelli’s onside run, Martinelli evading the challenge with a shrug, the goal)

That’s not a lot so the call is fair.

But how far are they willing to go back? What if there were a foul 20 passes prior to the goal?
Will they rescind the goal?

Like I mentioned yesterday, in both rugby and league they set a limit on phases of play they can go back. In rugby its something like 2 and in league it is 2 “tackles”. It’s a bit harder with football due to the fluid nature of the game and the way possession can be had or lost.

Do you think the culture of the Rugby codes help here though.
You get bad calls and christ knows you get biased fans, but what you don’t get for the most is it’s rarely the defining focus of the sports.

[Bavin]

@Stroller

Do you think the culture of the Rugby codes help here though.
You get bad calls and christ knows you get biased fans, but what you don’t get for the most is it’s rarely the defining focus of the sports.

For sure there’s a cultural element. The whole line between officials and players and coaches is far more respected. Sure, sometimes decisions get scrutinzied but in football it’s a whole different level.

This is more union than league as league fans tend to have quite big issues with the refs and systems but I think that’s very much due to the NRL being it’s own thing essentially.

[Calum]

They had an ex rugby ref talking about VAR on the
Monday night club. Really enjoyable listen.

MNC is probably one of my favourite football discussion shows.

[Flexo]

From the Champions League tonight. Offside by a kneecap

Dale Johnson

[Calum]

Still much better than the silly prick drawing a purple line with his crayola

[Stroller]

Shite.High definition shite but still shite.

[shamrockgooner]

I wonder will they still analyse this once it comes in for the PL or will all the pundits and hosts just accept that a big chunk of their talking points are now gone.

I do think it’ll be an improvement. The next thing to improve is the offside rule itself.

Also, once this is in no need for the lino to raise his flag for offside ever again.