March 3, 2018 will go down in history as the day football began to drift away from everything that made the sport so special. This is the day that VAR (video assistant referee) technology was officially enshrined in the Laws of the Game, as a means of reducing the number of errors in decisions made by referees on the pitch, with the express intention to improve the game. In this regard, at least in the English Premier League, VAR has failed.
The use of VAR technology has its advantages, of course. Video reviews of offsides, handballs and other on-field incidents often lead to the correct conclusion. When it works, VAR is fast, accurate and helps make football a fairer game. A room of dedicated officials equipped with an array of screens and magic lines to meticulously scrutinize every moment of a football match: what could go wrong?
A lot, actually. VAR is supposed to intervene when a clear and obvious mistake has been made by a match official and inform them of the correct decision. Over the years something has been lost in translation when it comes to 'clear and obvious', however, with the offside rule in particular now being judged on the basis of a fingernail here or there. In essence, VAR has become too involved and too methodical. The frequency with which VAR is brought into play now, particularly in the English Premier League, is proving disruptive to the overall experience of the beautiful game. According to ESPN, there have been 120 incidents of VAR intervention during the 2021/22 season, with 43 goals disallowed in the whole league.
We watch football because we want to see goals, those most special moments that make entire stadiums erupt with jubilation. VAR slowly but surely sucks the joy out of these moments and will eventually lead to the death of goal celebration if things continue on this trajectory. We are now more than four years after technology was introduced to football, and the innovative breakthrough that was supposed to improve the game has done little to ease the pain of a controversial decision going against of your team. On the contrary, VAR has backed down in this respect and now only serves to inflict more misery on players and fans.
March 3, 2018 will go down in history as the day football began to drift away from everything that made the sport so special. This is the day that VAR (video assistant referee) technology was officially enshrined in the Laws of the Game, as a means of reducing the number of errors in decisions made by referees on the pitch, with the express intention to improve the game. In this regard, at least in the English Premier League, VAR has failed.
The use of VAR technology has its advantages, of course. Video reviews of offsides, handballs and other on-field incidents often lead to the correct conclusion. When it works, VAR is fast, accurate and helps make football a fairer game. A room of dedicated officials equipped with an array of screens and magic lines to meticulously scrutinize every moment of a football match: what could go wrong?
A lot, actually. VAR is supposed to intervene when a clear and obvious mistake has been made by a match official and inform them of the correct decision. Over the years something has been lost in translation when it comes to 'clear and obvious', however, with the offside rule in particular now being judged on the basis of a fingernail here or there. In essence, VAR has become too involved and too methodical. The frequency with which VAR is brought into play now, particularly in the English Premier League, is proving disruptive to the overall experience of the beautiful game. According to ESPN, there have been 120 incidents of VAR intervention during the 2021/22 season, with 43 goals disallowed in the whole league.
We watch football because we want to see goals, those most special moments that make entire stadiums erupt with jubilation. VAR slowly but surely sucks the joy out of these moments and will eventually lead to the death of goal celebration if things continue on this trajectory. We are now more than four years after technology was introduced to football, and the innovative breakthrough that was supposed to improve the game has done little to ease the pain of a controversial decision going against of your team. On the contrary, VAR has backed down in this respect and now only serves to inflict more misery on players and fans.
Art by Tushar Dey
