Opinion
Football is one of those sports which captivates and grips you right until the end with its unpredictability putting fans on the edge of their seats.
That is why it is known as the beautiful game for those people who understand how special it can be.
One of those beauties involves scoring a goal, which inevitably is the game’s sole purpose. There is nothing better than seeing players celebrate along with the fans which bring passion and energy, unlike many sports in the world.
Spectators and neutrals pay their money to watch entertainment that makes them enjoy football and support their favourite team through the highs and lows.
Before technology was introduced into football, it was very free-flowing that did not have the constant pauses it does now in between which has undoubtedly made people who love the game somewhat lose that devotion they once had.
This all came about due to the introduction of goal-line technology after the infamous ‘phantom goal’ at the 2010 World Cup between England and Germany which ruled out a Frank Lampard goal, clearly crossing the line.
Has it been a success? Absolutely. It has been a change the game desperately needed. There is no controversy about it as it either crossed the line or it hasn’t, while it shows up on the referee’s watch in a matter of seconds.
In terms of the actual on-field play, football was never designed to provide clear-cut decisions. It is a game of opinions and judgements which still causes discussion and debate to this today.
Back in the day, players would not have to double-check and look over to the linesman to confirm if they were onside. The fans wouldn’t be robbed of the two minutes of celebrations, only to have the goal taken away from them.
It cannot be denied that VAR has been used to change poor decisions into the correct ones and bail out the referee, but it has gotten to the point where it is seriously tarnishing the game.
It needs to be accepted and understood that football is a contact sport. There are so many interpretations of tackles, goal-scoring opportunities, red cards, and handballs that it makes it impossible to reach a viable conclusion.
The system was first implemented to intervene in any ‘clear and obvious errors.’ The question is, what exactly does the term ‘clear and obvious’ mean?
Referee Kurt Ams signals for the VAR (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The latest round of football matches across the world demonstrated a stronger case for the VAR to be scrapped.
On Saturday, Kevin Muscat’s Yokohama F.Marinos were playing in the final game of the season to win the J-League title when they had a goal disallowed after six minutes.
It took the referee literally five minutes to have a discussion in the VAR room about a possible interference with the goalkeeper before he finally went over to the monitor. The decision took a total of seven minutes.
If the decision takes that long, how is it deemed ‘clear and obvious?’
Less than 12 hours later, Manchester City was awarded a penalty through a clear foul on Kevin De Bruyne, but yet the referee was not able to see it.
Theo Hernandez’s goal for AC Milan took five minutes for the official to discuss with the VAR room about a simple offside call.
In the opening round of the A-League last week, Melbourne Victory was awarded a penalty after Nani clearly went down two steps later after contact was made, yet that was not clear and obvious enough to overturn.
These examples prove that technology is a problem across world football and it has never been perfect.
In fact, it causes more controversy than solutions on top of taking away less playing time on the pitch.
A study conducted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at the end of the 2022 season found that the average ‘ball in play’ time in the English Premier League was 55 minutes and three seconds, the lowest in over a decade.
Part of this can be blamed on VAR for the amount of time it takes to review decisions.
Do supporters really deserve to be waiting on checks that some of the time are not even accurate?
The most frustrating part of the VAR however is the inconsistency of the referees going over to the monitor themselves to have a look.
Yes, the officials in the VAR room are there to talk into the ref’s ear, but especially on such big calls that change the outcomes of a match, they need to check for themselves regardless because at the end of the day they are the ones in charge.
Take Fikayo Tomori’s red card against Chelsea for example a few weeks back in the Champions League which became a heated debate.
If you want to implement technology, then it must be used both accordingly and efficiently.
Referring back to the term ‘clear and obvious,’ this concept has turned out to be far more confusing than what people who implemented it first thought.
There is no such thing in football and that is one of the most intriguing aspects of this incredible sport.
What was wrong with football before this new element was introduced into the game?
It was still the most popular sport in the world and people loved it for what it was.
They still do, but this whole VAR fiasco is turning people away from the game and that is only a detriment.
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