The problem with VAR

The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football. It’s where we get unforgettable drama such as Borussia Dortmund’s unreal stoppage time comeback versus Malaga to go from the brink of elimination to, eventually, the Champions League final.

Twice the competition gave us epic Barcelona versus Chelsea ties, and included topsy-turvy ties like Juventus coming back to 3-3 on aggregate after losing 3-0 at home to Real Madrid, only for Ronaldo to score a stoppage time penalty to send Real through.

These unforgettable European nights are what makes millions across the world put work, school, friends, and (as all Australian football fans have experienced) sleep schedules on hold to watch 22 men kick a ball around a big rectangle for 90 minutes.

However, as anyone who has ever watched football before can attest, football is never perfect. On top of this, referees, just like the rest of us humans, are never perfect. Football has adapted to try to cope with the spotlight now on these referees due to TV cameras, social media, and other new technology.

Inventions like goal-line technology (which people were actually opposed to), have revolutionised refereeing. Moments like Frank Lampard versus Germany are no longer a regular occurrence, all due to one smart innovation.

Video Assistant Referee, or VAR for short, is supposed to be one of those innovations. Revolutionising the game, finally giving referees access to the plethora of replays and camera angles that we at home have had for decades. It has been used, in some form, in sports varying from cricket to basketball to rugby league.

As with any new technology, it takes time to perfect, and it most definitely doesn’t eradicate refereeing mistakes. Just ask any New Orleans Saints fan. However, it is supposed to mean the important calls are almost always correct.

VAR’s shortcomings were on display in just its third match of use in the Champions League, Ajax’s encounter with the mighty Real Madrid. First, after Ajax dominated the opening half-hour of the game, including hitting the post and forcing Courtois to produce a few very good saves, they finally got the deserved breakthrough with a scrappy goal off a corner

No Real players appealed the goal, however, VAR had a different interpretation. The replays seemed to show that Dušan Tadić blocked Courtois from reaching the ball and was in an offside position, therefore the goal was disallowed.

However, this was demonstrated through a replay where, upon closer inspection, the offside line drawn parallel to the second last Real defender is in front of his arm, so much so that the Real defender’s arm even appears to be level with the second line drawn parallel to Tadić.

Additionally, this second line drawn to demonstrate Tadić’s positioning isn’t even straight and takes a jag to the right after intersecting with the Serbian.

How such an inconclusive replay can count as clear and obvious evidence to overrule a goal is baffling, and the fact that it ruled in favour of Real Madrid, who seem to always benefit from referee calls will do nothing to help UEFA.

Additionally, in Real’s second goal, Lucas Vazquez blatantly shoved Frenkie de Jong to the ground after grappling with him, including what looked like a bear hug turned tackle attempt. Despite the fact that the referee did not stop play or wave play on for this incident he clearly hadn’t seen, and that Real scored a mere five seconds later, VAR decided not to intervene and allowed the goal to stand.

The end result was an underserved 2-1 loss at home for Ajax, putting Real in the box seat for the second leg. While results that one would say are undeserved based on the balance of play are commonplace in football, having them occur in this manner boils the blood of everyone who’s name is not Florentino Pérez.

The post-match media coverage and social media debate was all about VAR and how Ajax were robbed, taking the gloss off a stunning Real goal courtesy of Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema and great football from Ajax.

Any A-League fan would be well aware of the controversy VAR can cause, such as the incident in the Melbourne derby this season. After the referee had given Melbourne City a free kick outside the box, it was revealed upon further review that Bruno Fornaroli had dived inside the box. Instead of giving Fornaroli a yellow card for simulation and a freekick to their opponents, City were rewarded with a penalty.

Bruno Fornaroli of Melbourne City. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

That’s without even bringing up the fact that the A-League grand final last season was decided by a goal, which clearly should have been disallowed due to offside, that stood because of VAR experiencing technical difficulties. Clearly VAR needs some work. But what can be done?

VAR as a concept is not bad. In fact, at the World Cup in Russia it was very good. However, the problem seems to be that nobody, including the referees themselves, fully grasp how it’s supposed to be incorporated into football. What makes an error clear and obvious? Should the linesman just never flag offside? How long can the referee spend reviewing a decision? What decisions can a referee review?

With all the scrutiny these referees are under, it’s understandable they make mistakes. When referees have the means to correct their mistakes, it becomes more frustrating. When referees mistakenly ‘correct’ what initially appeared to be the right decision based on flawed evidence, it’s unbearable.

The solution to this is an improved full training course for referees on how to work VAR, and the proper applications of it. It doesn’t have to be a long and strenuous course, but just long enough to make sure all the referees fully comprehend what VAR is, how it works, and when it should be used.

While I assume the current referees have been trained to use VAR, obviously something isn’t working. Everyone, especially the referees, would like us to focus on the drama on the pitch, rather than the drama in a small room with six computer monitors and a couple of people wearing headsets.