VAR: Trying to perfect an already imperfectly perfect sport.
Tags: Soccer, Football, Premier League, Sports

Photo by Sandro Schuh on Unsplash

VAR : It’s not my fault!!!!The technology ruined by human error!!!

Well being from India, I have already seen enough cricket for my entire life time to not even consider watching it again ever(and I am only 24 and stopped watching cricket 5 years ago). Well to be honest I have never been a fan of cricket as a sport but I must admit, they have used the technology at hand very effective and has optimized the way the technology is being used. That brings me to the use to technology in the beautiful game aka Football(For some , Soccer)

The one thing I never saw being integrated into the game of football was technology, not because this sport can’t benefit from it but because of the nature of the sport. The sport as I remember has always been an end to end game with lot time to breathe except for the 15 mins break between the halves, fans chanting on top of their lungs, emotions taking over the players as the time comes close to 90 mins and the referee being surround by players every time he blows his/her whistle to take any decision!!!!! Controversial decisions have always been a part of this sport, be it an offside call, or the “hand of god”, or a penalty not given because the “human” referee decided not to give it.

I would to give a couple of examples of use of technologies in Football.

Goal — Line Technology(GDS)

In detail, it is a method used to determine when the ball has completely crossed the goal line in between the goal-posts and underneath the crossbar with the assistance of electronic devices and at the same time assisting the referee in awarding a goal or not. The objective of goal-line technology (GLT) is not to replace the role of the officials, but rather to support them in their decision-making. The GLT must provide a clear indication as to whether the ball has fully crossed the line, and this information will serve to assist the referee in making his final.

It’s the 90 + 3 minute and the injury time is almost over and Liverpool are trailing 0–1 against Manchester United. A 30 yard screamer from Steven Gerrard, hits the cross bar , hits the floor, looks like the ball has crossed the line the commentator has gone crazy: “WHAT A HIT SON!!!! What a hit!!!!!”, the fans have just turned the Anfield in an cauldron with only one name being audible all over the stadium, “STEVEN GERRARD!!!!!” but a “Human” referee (he/she) decides that it’s not a goal !!!!! Imagine 40k to 45k Liverpool fans completely going ballistic.

The ball did cross the line, but due the speed in which all the scenarios panned out, a “Human” referee had to decide without an proof and he/she decided what they thought they saw.

This is one of numerous scenarios where this technology would have made perfect sense!!! These are the type of scenarios for which this technology was brought into the beautiful game!!! A simple and assured way of checking if it’s a goal or not!!!

This is where technology has worked in favor of this sport!!

VAR(Video Assistant “Referee”)

The “video assistant referee” (VAR) is an assistant referee in association football who reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and headset for communication specifically in order to minimize human errors causing substantial influence on match results.

Probably the most polarizing “advancement” in the rules and technological advancements in this sport has been VAR. The VAR speaks to the on-field referee through an earpiece, or vice versa, and the referee put his hand up to pause play and inform the players a decision is being reviewed. VAR reviews the video footage of the incident and advises whether or not action should be taken.Sounds simple enough isn’t it!!!

Let me tell you why it isn’t as simple as it sounds. One huge reason is because well, the VAR is a “referee” and not a former player(in almost all cases) and the rules of the game has changed so much that even a VAR can’t help but take some decisions which are going to be controversial to say the least.A former player knows how a player can react when the ball is coming at his body at a certain speed and can the player in question prevent the ball from hitting his/her arm or not, but a referee just have to lay by the rules and so in most cases VAR makes the call where it’s physically impossible for the player in question to make a move.

The only solution in sight now is to train some former players and at certain point make them a VAR or just change the rules(which isn’t possible)

The game has always been controversial but that’s what made the game what it was, controversy was a part of this sport and of many sports for that matter but the problem with controversy now is that they have a “tool” to tackle those issues but to a supporter’s eyes, the controversies just keeps piling on.