Adelaide United coach Gertjan Verbeek says the video assistant referee system had taken too long to make calls in the A-League season opener, after his side lost a 3-2 thriller to Sydney FC.
Verbeek said the video review system had taken a “crazy” amount of time to settle contentious calls in the season’s curtain-raiser.
The VAR system decided three flashpoints – and, on the evidence, all calls were right.
Initially, just 20 minutes into the season, referee Alex King stopped play for a VAR check which showed an earlier handball from Adelaide’s Michael Jakobsen.
A penalty was awarded and Sydney’s Adam Le Fondre scored the first of his two goals.
Adelaide’s second goal by Al Hassan Toure was also checked by VAR – he was cleared of being offside.
And just ten minutes later, Sydney recruit Kosta Barbarouses scored only for a VAR check to rule he had come from an offside position.
All three video decisions took minutes to complete.
Verbeek, after his first A-League game in charge at Adelaide, says he’s always been pro-VAR.
“But it’s getting more and more a huge impact in the game,” he said.
“Five minutes… to watch if it’s a penalty or not – it’s crazy.”
Sydney FC coach Steve Corica agreed with his Adelaide counterpart.
“It is taking a little bit too long,” Corica said.
“But they obviously want to make sure they get the right decisions.
“It is what it is, VAR. I think it can work in your favour sometimes and, obviously, not sometimes as well.
“But I think they got the right decisions most of the time.”
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Just imagine the look on Corica's face when he discovered Barbarouses takes 20 secs to cover 100 metres.
oldpsyco
Guest
RUBBISH! Usain Bolt took 9.58sec to run 100 metres so in your supposed .02 sec he would run about 20cm or 8 inches at top speed. your faster footballers would be lucky to cover half thatwith the average even less!
oldpsyco
Guest
The tech is what it is! Regardless of the level of accuracy, some will always choose to argue, its in their DNA!
con
Guest
resulting in less goal in the past K B goal would have stood now we get delays and no goals and riveting anti climax wow no thanks BORING we need entertainment that means we need more goals
con
Guest
yes u r right they were correct but what happens when lines man make incorrect offside call ,NOT FAIR
con
Guest
OMG is the VAR the most stupidest idea ever we are going to have much less goals this year ,just when everyone was calling to entertain fans, we now cancel hair line off side goals, that the lines man does not pick up . so correct me if I am wrong but when the lines man puts his flag up for what he thinks is an offside does the ref stop the game to question and go to the var and see if its a offside or not , I don't think so, the decision stands, but if u score a goal its scrutinized ,so if linesman put flag up and is disputed it is not a var issue ,well that is dump ,I hope some one can follow what I am saying and give me a reply cheers
Redondo
Roar Rookie
VAR cameras operate at 50 frames per second i.e. a frame every 0.02 seconds. The VAR ref finds the last frame where the ball hasn't been touched by the passer and the first frame where the ball definitely has been touched by the passer. The ball is actually first touched somewhere between those two frames but the VAR ref uses the later frame as the point in time to judge the position of the receiver. In 0.02 seconds the receiver can move quite a long way i.e. from clearly onside to clearly offside. We're talking 10s of centimetres movement - not 1 or 2 mm, as for the Barbarouses goal. If the VAR must be used for offsides then the benefit of doubt should go to the attacking team i.e. the VAR ref should assess the receiver's position at the last frame before the ball was touched (they know when the ball was touched because they can see it in the next frame). If we are going to be digital then at least be logical. In any case, the tech was introduced to address obvious errors and in cases like the Barbarouses goal it does nothing of the sort. At best it creates an impression of certainty even where the reality might be different. The margin of error should reflect the limitations of the frame rates of the cameras. It sounds highly technical but that is exactly the point. The technology is highly technical but it is far from infallible. It has limitations - how we use it should reflect the limitations.
EJ
Roar Pro
Tho glad owners are investing, hopefully they invest more to improve the league and improve attendances, hopefully rest of the round was as good as last night
Waz
Roar Rookie
Agree. The penalty decision was done in 47 seconds, could have been less but the ref asked for another angle to check for DOGSO
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Buddy, my very first thought was that KB looked offside and I was surprised the commentators weren't anticipating a VAR check. My only surprise was that he was only a couple of centtemeters off. VAR was correct on all decisions. Now it's a case of speeding up the process. Perhaps a 1 minute window. If the VAR refs can't make a call the original decision stands
Waz
Roar Rookie
I had no idea the KB goal was even close to offside watching live and even with the replay I couldn’t tell. But I’m comfortable with the new gizmo saying he’s millimeters offside even allowing for errors/tolerance - it’s the same with human linesman, they have to either hear or guess when the ball is kicked so it’s the same margin for error, probably less.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
As I was watching the KB goal being scored I questioned whether he might have been offside. I just thought it might have been and worth reviewing. The commentators on the tv didn’t pick up on at all and so often they lead debates and ultimately ridicule of referees when they have watched multiple replays and different camera angles whereas when it is live on camera it is so much harder. I thought the VAR decisions were good and a much better start than last season. I have heard that there is talk about explaining inside the ground. The policy of not showing controversial moments doesn’t help the fan experience at all.....made for tv!
Waz
Roar Rookie
They do allow for a “grey area” ... people just don’t like the decision
Redondo
Roar Rookie
I don’t have difficulty accepting the decision. I do question the omnipotence of the technology, particularly when it is still possible to say it depends on frame rates, judgement as to when the foot and ball make contact etc. It’s false certainty and there should be a grey area allowance.
Waz
Roar Rookie
You highlight one of the fundamental issues with refereeing and VAR in particular - fans have difficulty accepting decisions. There’s no doubt Kosta was offside, all be it by millimeters but because it’s close fans will argue about it.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
The VAR calls are down to quantum pixel accuracy now. The Barbarouses decision depended entirely on when the VAR freeze-frame depicted King's boot touching the ball. I'd say there was a quark in it either way and the benefit of the doubt should go to the attacking team. The Adelaide goal looked a goal to the naked eye - definitely a good call by VAR, but why the delay.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Agree they were. Even though the offside was tight it was offside (apparently lol). And Adelaide’s first goal was probably saved by VAR - without it I recon the linesman would have called it off and we would have been debating it this morning. They just have to fix the stadium experience now
Punter
Roar Rookie
I totally agree, I too don't like the the way they use the VAR, but all 3 decisions that went to VAR, the correct decision was made.
EJ
Guest
Agree with you there Waz, listening to how they came to the decision did give clarity, and regardless of if it’s millimetres, if the new technology can stop the debate as to whether it’s off side or not no matter the margin, it’s good to have it
Waz
Roar Rookie
I don’t like VAR but I think this is a non-story. The Penalty call was right and might even have been given by a well positioned linesman pre-VAR and the two offside calls? Well that $150,000 line certainly helps even if we are talking millimeters. And the time taken to come to decisions didn’t seem long to me. In the stadium of course is a different experience - they need to open up the Ref commentary and vision to stadium fans.