VAR: HIT OR MISS?

A.Y. ⚽️⚡️SAYS 

     

 

https://bleacherreport.com/epl

Video Assistant Referees, looking to spot clear and obvious errors. The tweak this season in England, is that the bar is set pretty high for what is clear and obvious, and referees will be allowed to decide if there’s a need to have a check at the monitor. One thing stands though, there’ll always be controversy. 

       I think the VAR team at Stockley Park deserve credit, given how the new technology fared in Russia and in the UCL.  We’ve barely had any decisions to mull over. Yesterday’s though was a bit of a flipside, that’s if you ask Pep Guardiola. And for some reason, you could agree. Rodri Hernandez gets manhandled by Erik Lamela as Kevin De Bruyne swings a corner. There is a check, but it’s not been seen as a clear and obvious error. We all have varying views on that. Then, brilliantly, Gab Jesus’ goal gets chalked off after Laporte is deemed to have inadvertently contributed to the goal via the use of the arm. New law puts a check on that. 

     Verdict: hats off to the VAR team. It’s a Hit, not a miss. It takes guts to make the call to spot the handball, given how the game’s turned out. Fact is: it’s the right call. And that’s what the technology was introduced for, making the right call. Just count your lucky stars it’s not at your club’s expense. 

     Way Forward: 

1. The VAR team should also have the guts to sometimes overrule the referee’s original decision, or point out that a check should be made. 
2. Better Camera Angles: As we’ve seen in games held at last year’s WC and across Europe (also yesterday), thé camera angles presented to the team and referee are not conclusive. The technology can’t work effectively, if there isn’t enough provision for it. 

                                           -A.Y. ⚽️⚡️