VAR - A Suggestion

red_harrington

Well-known member
I think we all agree it's not working properly as it's affecting the flow and enjoyment of the game with dubious decisions, mostly with regards to the offside rule. So I hereby make the following suggestion as a means to improvement:

When VAR flags offside, the referee asks himself the following question: 'Was the infraction enough to significantly alter the course of the game?'

The referee makes these kind of decisions all the time anyway with regards to physical contact. Too much or inappropriate contact and a foul is awarded. Not enough - play on. The referee alone decides whether or not the level of physical altercation is enough to blow the whistle or not.

The same can be applied to offside.

The current standing is that if the player's nose was 1mm offside, a goal wouldn't count, which is the letter of the law. My suggestion is that it's for the referee to decide whether or not the players nose being 1mm offside "significantly altered the course of the game". As such, the ref would - quite sensibly - probably deny that it was, and would let the goal stand.

Without the discretion of the referee to decide events like these, the game is turning into a farce, infuriating players and fans alike. I understand that the referee at times will use his discretion and get it 'wrong' but that will always be the case - the point here is that VAR should be a tool for him to see the bigger picture on a human level that understands the game, rather than a robot that makes a black and white decision for him.
 
Some people don't mind it.

I disagree with your idea as it just adds another layer of complexity. And the majority of offside decisions affect the game significantly even if not at the moment of the decision. You'd just end up with more fake football, where you see a passage of play that's you aren't sure whether it will stand.

And it doesn't get rid of the major problem, that being that every goal is called into question, which takes away the joy from the game.

Either get rid entirely, or use only for sending offs. For once they need to show some respect to those attending games.
 
Of all the things wrong with VAR offside isn't one of them. It's a black and white decision. You are either onside or offside. There is no "not offside enough to make a difference". If it was the linesman making the same decision then there would be no complaints.

Wherever you decide is the new tolerance level will still have marginal calls.

I don't like the time it takes to do things but there is absolutely nothing wrong with a correct decision being made just because it was marginal.
 
Of all the things wrong with VAR offside isn't one of them. It's a black and white decision. You are either onside or offside.

This is where I disagree. You're correct 'technically' but my point is that the 'technically correct' part of the game is exactly what's ruining it as a spectator sport.

It should be brought into 'referee opinion' just as it is with handball (arm or hand? deliberate or not?) and fouls (normal contact or shove in the back?)
 
This is where I disagree. You're correct 'technically' but my point is that the 'technically correct' part of the game is exactly what's ruining it as a spectator sport.

It should be brought into 'referee opinion' just as it is with handball (arm or hand? deliberate or not?) and fouls (normal contact or shove in the back?)

How exactly do you think this would work? As it is, anything marginal isn't being called by the linesman and play is allowed to continue. What you are proposing would need linesman to go back to making calls that they think are right but we know they get plenty wrong. The new way has seen some goals be given that would have been incorrectly flagged as offside. All you are doing is adding goals that should be disallowed and replacing them with goals that shouldn't. How is that better?

We certainly don't need a "referee opinion". Why add subjectivity to something where we already have an actual answer. Your "referee opinion" would still require a VAR review and would take just as long.
 
Because someone having their nose offside is technically offside, but many people would agree, myself included, that someones' nose being offside has no bearing on the play and whether or not the goal will have been scored or not.

Having a perfectly good goal disallowed because of a technical yet trivial infringement like this is infuriating to say the least.

That is where the ref should come in and make a judgement call ie be allowed to use his discretion.
 
They are getting offside wrong. Ifab have confirmed it should be clear and obvious.

They're not getting it wrong, they've decided on how they're going to do it and it stays consistent. IFAB have said that they will issue guidance at some point and it might change but until then if you're offside, you're offside.
 
I agree the process isn't perfect but black and white just means it's a binary decision. You are either on or you are off. There is no middle ground. As long as they are consistent with the process then it is fair.

This is one situation where technology will quite quickly improve to the point where AI makes the decision of which frame to use and where to draw the lines. It will be much quicker than a human doing it. It'll even get to the point where it is real time and so we can do away with a linesman calling offsides.
 
If VAR is here to stay then it has to be employed at every level within the league structure otherwise it is one set of laws being implemented in two distinct ways.

Take a theoretical goal where the attacker is level and therefore onside. That goal occurring in a PL relegation decider could be adjudicated by VAR and the team could survive.

Now take that self same goal and transplant it into an automatic promotion or relegation decider in one of the 3 leagues in the EFL. The assistant, to the best of their ability, deems it offside and that team misses out on automatic promotion or is relegated.

Same goal, same laws, but it's not a level playing field at all.
 
That is no different to having 2 different linesmen or referees that would call the same decision differently which has always happened.
 
I dont see why you cant let the linesman make the decision and then check if a goal results. If it is a clear howler overturn or otherwise go with 'linesman's call' similar to cricket.

Therefore, the protocol being all marginal decisions are with the onfield official. This allows for there being a margin of error with the technology, depending on where tv frames are frozen and lines drawn.
 
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