Use of VAR technology celebrated, criticised, almost in equal measure

IN MOSCOW, RUSSIA
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made its debut in Fifa World Cup on Thursday during the Group 'A' match between Russia and Saudi Arabia which the hosts won 5-0, but use of the technology is not new in football.

The technology that has been in use on experimental basis to help referees avoid making big mistakes which could change a match result. It was in use in Bundesliga for the first time in the 2017/2018 season for 306 top-flight fixtures, and in Italy as well. VAR was used on a trial basis in England for some domestic Cup games.

France and Spain will introduce VAR in their football leagues next season. The world’s most watched league, the English Premier League, has indicated that it will not use VAR next season, but European football governing body Uefa has already said it will not be used in the 2018-2019 Uefa Champions League competitions.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said VAR needed further testing before it could be used in Uefa Champions League. In Caf tournaments, VAR was used on a trial basis in February during Caf Super Cup match between Caf Confederation Cup champions TP Mazembe and Caf Champions League winners Wydad Casablanca in Morocco.

In March, Fifa announced that VAR will be used at the Fifa World Cup in Russia after the international Football Association Board (Ifab) approved its introduction a permanent basis.

Ifab constitutes of Fifa and the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each having one vote to Fifa’s four, with six votes required to change the laws.

While announcing the decision to use VAR at this year’s World Cup, Fifa President Gianni Infantino said: "We need to live with the times. We wanted to give the referees tools so they can make better decisions, and in the World Cup some very important decisions are made. It's not possible that in 2018 everyone in their living room knows a few seconds after the play whether a referee has made a mistake and the referee doesn't."

“Without VAR, a referee can make one important mistake every three matches. With VAR, the figures we have seen from the trials that have been held show that a big mistake is made once every 19 matches."

A VAR team, based in a specialized video operation room in Moscow, will support match officials during all the 64 matches here. Fans will be shown replays of incidents reviewed by VAR on big screens during the tournament. But use of VAR has been condemned and celebrated, almost in equal measure. Those anxious moments fans and players go through as delay celebrating a goal to wait for a VAR confirmation has obviously rubbed fans the wrong way. VAR removes the spontaneity of celebrating a goal du ring matches.

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte was left red-faced in January after referee Graham Scott and Video Assistant Referee Mike Jones failed to award Willian what the Italian and other experts thought was a clear penalty in their FA Cup replay between Chelsea and Norwich at Stamford Bridge, won 5-3 on penalties by the hosts.

“Chelsea spent all evening in search of penalties – and even had two players sent off in demanding them – so it was bitterly ironic that they eventually did prevail, in one of the most extraordinary FA Cup ties of modern-times, from the spot, after extra-time and from a shoot-out,” Jason Burt wrote for The Telegraph.

“And this was a very modern cup-tie. The spotlight will fall heavily on the VAR. It comes into use for ‘clear and obvious’ errors but that was the only thing clear and obvious in a raucous, chaotic third round replay that was eventually cruel on Norwich City, 13th in the Championship.”

On April 17, use of VAR was roundly castigated when a penalty was awarded at half-time when players had already gone to the changing rooms in Bundesliga match between Mainz and Freiburg.

“Mainz and Freiburg players were hauled back to the pitch after the referee had blown for half-time when a penalty was belatedly awarded via VAR. The players had already gone to their changing rooms for the interval with the score at 0-0 when referee Guido Winkmann stopped his own descent down the tunnel after a message in his ear.

After confused faces resurfaced from the tunnel, Mainz's Pablo De Blasis duly converted the spot-kick to give the hosts a surprising 1-0 lead when they went back in for the break – again,” Skysports.com reported.

Fifa's referees' chief and former World Cup final referee Pierluigi Collina who addressed journalists here early this week, said the system "is about avoiding clear and obvious major errors".

"It's not a question of refereeing the match with technology," he added. "The goal has never been to check every minor incident."

In Fifa competitions, VAR was first used in 2016 Fifa Club World Cup held across two venues in Japan – Suita City Football Stadium in Osaka and International Stadium Yokohama. Real Madrid won the tournament, beating Japan’s Kashima Antlers 4-2 in the final.

VAR was also used in 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup held from June 17 to July 2 last year in Russia across three venues in Moscow (Spartak Stadium), Kazan (Fisht Olympic Stadium) and St. Petersburg (Saint Petersburg Stadium) and won by Germany.

A VAR team, based in a specialised video operation room in Moscow, will support match officials during all 64 matches. The team has access to all relevant broadcast cameras and two dedicated off-side cameras.

VAR does not make decisions, rather he supports the referee in the decision-making process and a final decision is made by the match referee.