VAR: How The Introduction Of Video Assistant Referees Affects Football

This year’s Confederations Cup ushered in the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) into competitive football matches.This technology has, however, brought a lot of arguments, anger and opinions stating how irrelevant and trivial these decisions can be.

See Also: Kenyan Teenage Boy Bags World’s Best Record

Video Assistance was introduced for the first time in a Fifa Competition; at the Club World Cup in Japan last December, and it’s being used in selected competitions.

This Technology was also used in England’s friendly match against France in Paris last week; when French defender Raphael Varane was sent off after a referral was made using the technology.

It can be used to decide whether to award a goal or not to award a penalty, for a straight red card or cases of mistaken identity.

Matches VAR Has Been Used

It has already been used five times so far in the first round of group stages in the Confederations Cup, Russia. Portugal defender Pepe had a goal disallowed for offside after a referral to VAR against Mexico.

Chile’s forward, Eduardo Vargas had a strike correctly ruled out for a very marginal offside against Cameroon. His 91st-minute goal was also referred to the video assistant referees to check for another offside but the goal stood.

On Monday, Tomi Juric’s goal for Australia against Germany was allowed to stand despite a suspected handball was spotted during the VAR review.

FIFA President

FIFA President; Infantino had his say on the technology:

“The VAR tests during this Confederations Cup are also helping us to improve the processes and fine-tune communication. What fans have been waiting for over so many years is finally happening.

I’m extremely happy with VAR so far, we have seen how video assistance has helped referees to make correct decisions. That is what VAR is all about. Video assistant refereeing is the future of modern football.”

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which governs the laws of the game, authorized VAR to be used on an experimental basis in March 2016.

Players, coaches, and football fans have weighed in on this new introduction to the sport.

Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger certainly believes the introduction of VARs to the game of football is a positive move looking forward. He even mentioned instances when VAR could have come in handy in some previous Arsenal games.

See Also: Jack Wilshere: Arsenal Star Ties Knot In Lavish Italian Wedding

At the top of his list was the Champions League finals match between Arsenal and Barcelona in 2006. Arsenal was 1-0 up and an offside goal in the favor of Barcelona changed the outcome of the game.

Leon Osman

Former midfielder Leon Osman shared his opinion on the new technology saying:

“You can’t blame the referees at all, because if they don’t look up what the players are claiming and it turns out it did happen then they’re going to get in an awful lot of trouble.”

“The problem you’ve now got is players will claim for absolutely anything, any reason to review the goal and have a look. It’s going to cut down the number of goals scored because every time a goal goes in, it will get reviewed.”

“The 10, 15, 20% of goals that they find a tiny reason why they should rule them out, It frustrates me already, I dislike it completely.”

Though it has its benefits, I just hope the players, managers, and associations can accept this technology as it has come to stay.