The VAR Thread

[luRRka]

Still seems complicated

Edit - to save opening on twitter to expand:

Players told @premierleague there were too many hand-balls last season. Players now advised by PL that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence and they are not expected to move with their arms behind back or by their side like pogoing penguins (not an official description in the Laws). Handball Law is simplified. No hand-ball if: justifiable position or action; a clear change of trajectory when touched by, or deflected from, the same player; played by a team-mate; hits supporting arm when a player falls; or proximity. Handball still fairly complicated but this should prove an improvement.

 

[allatsea]

Still seems complicated

Edit - to save opening on twitter to expand:

Players told @premierleague there were too many hand-balls last season. Players now advised by PL that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence and they are not expected to move with their arms behind back or by their side like pogoing penguins (not an official description in the Laws). Handball Law is simplified. No hand-ball if: justifiable position or action; a clear change of trajectory when touched by, or deflected from, the same player; played by a team-mate; hits supporting arm when a player falls; or proximity. Handball still fairly complicated but this should prove an improvement.

So, if I have understood this correctly, a team mate can cleverly push you towards the ball and so deflect it and it isn't a penalty/foul ?

 

[cwy21]

Just a wild thought but maybe use the same interpretations as the rest of the world instead of adjusting to what players want.

 

[Guernman]

There is still a lot that is very subjective. The question is, will VAR stay out of it if the on-field ref thinks it is a justifiable action, but the VAR disagrees?

I have always felt that with subjective rulings the ref needs to make the decision and he should only be shown additional footage if he specifically asks to see it. That would stop VAR re-referring games.

So, if a ref sees a handball incident and waves play on, that should be the end of it, if he felt it happened too fast or he wasn't entirely happy that he saw the incident well enough, then he can ask VAR to play it back to him pitch side. Then VAR becomes a tool he can choose to use, rather than a second or third subjective opinion forced upon him.

 

[cwy21]

I have always felt that with subjective rulings the ref needs to make the decision and he should only be shown additional footage if he specifically asks to see it. That would stop VAR re-referring games.

I'm stealing this quote from someone I know on a referee forum when he responded to someone making a similar argument.

But whole point of VAR was to fix mistakes where the referee got it wrong. And referees get things wrong when they are 100% convinced they are right. Witness the men's Olympic gold medal match--Abatti was sure and adamant there was no penalty and no holding offence. There's no way in a million years he would have voluntarily subjected himself to a VAR consultation at that juncture of the match given his perspective and what was on the line.

Referees are trained to make calls and to sell them. They are supposed to believe in the correctness of their call. Introducing a system that fundamentally relies on a referee being able to immediately introduce self-doubt into their own decision on the biggest calls in the game and to act on that doubt appropriately is a recipe for disaster and for getting even worse and more erratic outcomes than you get now

 

[aliyid]

Shocking that this is defended as not being a red card

 

[jackson]

Shocking that this is defended as not being a red card

Seriously has he ever disagreed with the ref's decision on there?

 

[tommo84]

Seriously has he ever disagreed with the ref's decision on there?

Tbf he disagreed with the decision to disallow the Bournemouth goal.

 

[Whazam]

Shocking that this is defended as not being a red card

Unbelievable reasoning there.

Why is he repeating what Joelinton's purpose was as a reason for only giving a yellow? And of course it look worse when the keeper is running, because that's makes it more dangerous... My god.