Frozen screens, bendy offside lines and other technical glitches have made the video assistant referee (VAR) system a frequent target of derision as the World Cup approaches.
Two years of testing before the June 14 opening game have left Johannes Holzmueller, the head of FIFA’s Technology Innovation Department, “sweating…because we were unsure if everything works perfectly.
“However, now that we go into the World Cup we are quite sure that we will have the best set-up that is possible at the moment.
But he refused to say the network of digitally-enhanced cameras overseen by experienced assistant referees would be fool-proof in time for the World Cup that kicks off in Moscow.
“It is technology; it can fail,” Holzmueller said at a media conference.
Few doubt that after several controversial incidents recently.
Last weekend a technical glitch allowed an offside goal to stand, deciding the A-League championship.
“Cameras were frozen. The feeds were no longer available. They tried the best in that situation but could not find one angle,” Holzmueller said.
“If they do not have all the feeds or the specific angle to say ‘hey, I am 100 per cent sure, 100 per cent convinced I would go for a clear offside’.
“If you cannot have that as a VAR, then of course you cannot tell the referee on the pitch.
“In this case it was a clear technology failure. We learned a lot from that.”
Last month in the Bundesliga, Mainz were awarded a penalty during halftime after their opponents had already left the pitch.
In Belgium last weekend, the Club Brugge game against Anderlecht started more than 15 minutes late because the VAR system was not ready.
In Italy in March, Lazio took issue with a number of decisions, prompting about 200 fans to protest outside the national football federation.
Holzmueller said that, in another incident, the digital line on the screen to decide offside was bendy rather than straight.
Live and learn and always have a back-up, said Massimo Busacca, director of refereeing at soccer’s ruling body FIFA.
“I say always we must be ready for a Plan B. Who is ready for Plan A only is not the top. Who is not expecting the unexpected cannot be top level,” Busacca said, suggesting technology must always be subservient to the referee.
“Only one decision at the next World Cup, only one, is enough to say: VAR was good to be introduced.
“The aim is not to achieve 100 per cent calls for all decisions, only to avoid scandal.”
Newie
Guest
Agree totally. The failure at the Grand Final was only the cream and cherry on top. Simon Hill rightly points out that it still leaves the foul / penalty / offside as a discretionary decision. A decision that often takes a long time and spoils the beauty of the game. The delays don't bring enough benefits to warrant the continuation of the VAR experiment.
Griffo
Roar Guru
You would think that (death of VAR) but it will just give them four years of promises that it will be right for 2022.
LuckyEddie
Guest
The main problem with VAR is that instead of talking about football we are all talking about a sad piece of technology. It's going to be the same at the WC instead of analysing games and tactics and players skills all discussion will slip into the gutter about a piece of digital coding. All our glorious football history and current players all hijacked by some IT junkies.
LuckyEddie
Guest
Did Arzani get contact or just dive? Do people know that in football you are actually allowed to make contact?
Lionheart
Guest
agreed
Waz
Roar Rookie
The rules are very clear on off-side. Any part of the body that can score a goal can be offside (ie everything but hands/arm).
Waz
Roar Rookie
Apparently not yet re DDS, but I’d fully expect him to sign with City soon. The kids got his eye back on Europe and that’s CFGs forte.
chris
Guest
Agree with what you say Kris. The offside rule is an interesting one. If a player is leaning forward and breaks the plane of offside but his feet are onside then what? I've seen it go either way. Or do we deem it offside if any part of the body that can put the ball in the net breaks that plane? Ie, if the arms are offside but all other parts of the body are onside, its ok and play on.
Lionheart
Guest
VAR should be for fact only, not subjective calls. Off-sides are a good one, ball out of play and the like, but not opinion based subjective decisions. Unrelated Waz, but I heard that Da Silva has signed with MCY.
Kris
Guest
They have missed the opportunity to make some very specific VAR rules, and widely distribute them. For example VAR will only overturn an offside decision if it is at least a body length wrong VAR will only overturn a penalty award if there is no contact VAR will only award a penalty if the ref rules there was a foul and a replay shows it was actually inside the box et etc Everything interpretive (fouls, handball, active/inactive player on offside etc) should not be subject to review.
Mark
Guest
Of course they expect success. They’ve already decided it is a success, regardless of what actually happens during the World Cup.
mattq
Guest
i think it's good it will be at the world cup. this will expedite the death of VAR.
chris
Guest
Griffo thats the main issue though with VAR in my opinion. That is, the refs and the AR will err on the side of caution and let "VAR handle it". I've not heard one country's group of supporters actively embrace the VAR. There are rumblings in Spain, Germany, England and Italy. If you don't listen to those supporters then what, in heavens name, are FIFA doing?
Griffo
Roar Guru
Waz’s last paragraph sums it up the most for me right now - at least have the refs officiate the game as if there is no VAR. It doesn’t sound like FIFA are taking ownership of this enough, just throwing money at something that will work because it’s the World Cup. Anyway even if VAR stuffs up the tournament it won’t matter. Infantino is doing his best to water down and devalue the World Cup enough that the VAR won’t matter anyway.
Waz
Roar Rookie
I suspect FIFA are clueless as to what the problems will be. All the technical stuff can be managed and mitigated but what do you do when a handball is not given and one side thinks it’s deliberate and the other side that it wasn’t? Or when Arzani gets contact in the box and the ref thinks it’s not a foul and the VAR supports it? The actual mistakes they think they are eradicating are about 5-10% of the debate, the other 90-95% are subjective interpretations by the referee and the VAR merely amplifies the anger and the debate - both the referee and the VAR then become the focus. This will not be a success although a better standard of official will probably save them from the frequent embarrassment the HAL has had.