Chasing VAR out of Scotland

[Doonhame Buddie]

VAR is here to stay. I’ve yet to speak to a supporter who has a positive opinion on VAR but Sky loves the debates and arguments it provokes. 

[Dons_1988]

17 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

Var is anything  but straightforward. 

It has many flaws. But I know If it was taken away it would  lead to the " if only we had tv evidence " 

If it's withdrawn then at anypoint  any club mentions getting video evidence that get heavily fined and docked points, 

I’d be fine with this 

[CYBERSHED]

9 hours ago, DrewDon said:

The most grating part of VAR in Scotland for me isn't actually the checks after a goal has been scored, as unnecessarily long as they seem to be at times.

It is the checks for about thirty seconds after corners, free-kicks and suchlike, which completely suck the life out of the pace of the game, destroy momentum and kill potential counter-attacks. I have lost count of the amount of times watching my team this season where a corner has gone out for a goal-kick and there is the chance to get the ball back in the play quickly whilst the opposition defenders sprint back, but the referee signals to stop the game for thirty seconds whilst VAR check for a non-existent shirt pull that nobody has claimed for. Likewise, the ball getting headed out for a throw-in from a corner, the attacking team has the chance to keep the momentum of the attack going, and the game gets stopped for nearly a minute just to check that nothing happened. 

It just completely sucks the life out of the game as I have known it, and massively impacts upon some of the most enjoyable aspects of football for me as a match-attending fan. 

I think it is probably here to stay in some form. But it appears to be used excessively to the detriment of players and supporters.

I would limit the use of it to the following: 

Each team can demand a VAR check once per 45 mins.

If they are correct, and a decision is overturned, then that gets carried forward and can be used again within the 45 minute period.

HT - unused VAR requests c/f

Perhaps also give the referee team a max of 1 VAR request per 45 mins for occasions when one of them sees a clear offence/or lack of 

[pozbaird]

5 minutes ago, CYBERSHED said:

I think it is probably here to stay in some form. But it appears to be used excessively to the detriment of players and supporters.

I would limit the use of it to the following: 

Each team can demand a VAR check once per 45 mins.

If they are correct, and a decision is overturned, then that gets carried forward and can be used again within the 45 minute period.

HT - unused VAR requests c/f

Perhaps also give the referee team a max of 1 VAR request per 45 mins for occasions when one of them sees a clear offence/or lack of 

Like coaches challenges in the NFL. England talking about salary caps, like the NFL.

Just need Taylor Swift to date a big fcuking gormless haddie. Just like the NFL. 

[Alert Mongoose]

<Puts on tinfoil hat>

With regards to goal line technology (and equivalent hawkeye etc) how do we actually know they work precisely? It wouldn't be the first time some shyster company has pulled the wool over adminstrative boards.  They could just be saying 'aye, it works' as some plooky student selects a point on a computer screen in some backroom.

<removes tinfoil hat>

Edited May 16 by Alert Mongoose

[RandomGuy.]

18 minutes ago, CYBERSHED said:

I think it is probably here to stay in some form. But it appears to be used excessively to the detriment of players and supporters.

I would limit the use of it to the following: 

Each team can demand a VAR check once per 45 mins.

If they are correct, and a decision is overturned, then that gets carried forward and can be used again within the 45 minute period.

HT - unused VAR requests c/f

Perhaps also give the referee team a max of 1 VAR request per 45 mins for occasions when one of them sees a clear offence/or lack of 

This would be even more of a farce.

[PTR]

Sometimes it is worth reminding ourselves football is a game. The problem we have, quite simply, is people are often big babies. 

Goalkeepers chuck them in sometimes, strikers miss open goals, referees make poor decisions. Horrible when it goes against you, wonderful when it goes for you. It is all part of the game.

Just let the game be. 

I really don't mean this to come across as dickish as it will, but I cannot understand how a football fan who is for VAR ever got into football in the first place. I simply (actually literally!) cannot comprehend watching football pre-VAR then preferring the state of it now.

 

[Willie adie]

A simple aspect thar I've never heard mentioned. 

Why not have var there in the background.  But its only used when the referee asks for it. So its not used to undermine him.

If he's confident  in his decision  even if var see its  wrong,  tough he has made his decision. 

I would also add in each club having  to var appeals per half,  done through  the team captain to the referee. 

Offsides should  still be checked,

[Dons_1988]

52 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

A simple aspect thar I've never heard mentioned. 

Why not have var there in the background.  But its only used when the referee asks for it. So its not used to undermine him.

If he's confident  in his decision  even if var see its  wrong,  tough he has made his decision. 

I would also add in each club having  to var appeals per half,  done through  the team captain to the referee. 

Offsides should  still be checked,

VAR is in the background checking, regardless if ref asks for it or not. 

[Steve McQueen]

We now have an extra delay of replacing the balls after a goal is checked as they get auctioned off?

Edited May 17 by Steve McQueen

[AJF]

1 hour ago, Willie adie said:

A simple aspect thar I've never heard mentioned. 

Why not have var there in the background.  But its only used when the referee asks for it. So its not used to undermine him.

If he's confident  in his decision  even if var see its  wrong,  tough he has made his decision. 

I would also add in each club having  to var appeals per half,  done through  the team captain to the referee. 

Offsides should  still be checked,

I would imagine this would lead to people accusing referees of bias if they are selective of what can be reviewed. There might be an instance where the ref is absolutely convinced of his decision and chooses not to review it, but a replay from a different angle shows there is doubt. Fans of the aggrieved team will be all over the ref for choosing not to review it.

[velo army]

1 hour ago, Willie adie said:

A simple aspect thar I've never heard mentioned. 

Why not have var there in the background.  But its only used when the referee asks for it. So its not used to undermine him.

If he's confident  in his decision  even if var see its  wrong,  tough he has made his decision. 

I would also add in each club having  to var appeals per half,  done through  the team captain to the referee. 

 

Offsides should  still be checked,

What we would have (as we do have now) is players surrounding the ref after every minute decision to get him to check the monitor. With no VAR the ref has absolute authority and players just have to lump it.

 

[Swello]

29 minutes ago, Steve McQueen said:

We know have an extra delay of replacing the balls after a goal is checked as they get auctioned off?

Is that what that is?? I noticed in Dingwall last weekend as I was close to the halfway line (and there were a lot of restarts ) - I had no clue what was going on....

[Steve McQueen]

4 minutes ago, Swello said:

Is that what that is?? I noticed in Dingwall last weekend as I was close to the halfway line (and there were a lot of restarts ) - I had no clue what was going on....

Yes, started in the last 4 weeks or so.

 

Ross County would have almost run out of balls!

 

I assume this means a hat trick scorer just gets the ball that ends the matc

Edited May 17 by Steve McQueen

[Willie adie]

Well fine no var then absolutely  no questioning of the referees decisions. Any questioning or inference that he's got ot wrong .

Again  heavy fine points deduction  .

Sounds heavy handed but, if they want var out then fine they don't have it and must not in any circumstances ask for it back

 

We wanted  vat for years remember 

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

18 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

Well fine no var then absolutely  no questioning of the referees decisions. Any questioning or inference that he's got ot wrong .

Again  heavy fine points deduction  .

Sounds heavy handed but, if they want var out then fine they don't have it and must not in any circumstances ask for it back

 

We wanted  vat for years remember 

Who is 'We'?  And I'll assume you're no a tax fanatic

[topcat(The most tip top)]

I'd like linesmen to be able to call whether an offside call should go to VAR.

They'd have a three way choice Onside (Flag stays Down), Offside(Flag straight up) or Fuctifano (Flag to the side with an exaggerated shrug gesture) 

This would hopefully speed up proceedings and keep spectators better informed

 

[eez-eh]

The big argument for VAR is that it leads to more correct decisions, but I’ve never seen more forensic analysis of referee decisions than there is now.

Any slightly contentious decision down south is plastered all over social media for days with folk losing their minds over it because they expect 100% accuracy with VAR.

[velo army]

The media and pundit class need to take responsibility for this. If VAR is to be scrapped I want pundits to remind the viewer that football rules are often subjectively applied and that this is part of experiencing the sport we love. A bit of humour when looking at refereeing decisions in the studio wouldn't go amiss, instead of the "did he get it right or wrong?" debate and accompanying hysteria. This only fans the flames of fans' ire. 

Obviously it's in the interests of broadcasters to foment such outrage, but I'm not without hope that the standard of debate and commentary can be raised above the screeching inanity of Micah Richards, the huffy meanderings of Michael Stewart or any of the other interchangeable tattie heided oafs we're subjected to.

[Swello]

If anyone in authority was interested enough in finding out - we've got a convenient full-time league, refereed by the same people, filled with clubs that look a lot like the ones in the Premiership that they could do some actual analysis on - it's even televised.

Are refereeing decisions qualitatively better in the Premiership Vs the Championship as a result of VAR? Are games managed better? Are Championship players/supporters/Managers more or less happy with refereeing standards than their Premiership equivalents? Would Championship supporters want VAR introduced in their league? Has missing some hairline offsides and blind-side handballs had a detrimental sporting effect on the Championship? etc, etc.

With my anti-VAR prejudice, I think I know what the answers would be - but I'd love to see what they really are.