VIDEO REF FURORE
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AN OVERHAUL of the way the video referee system is used will be in place for this weekend’s A-League games, after a raft of controversial incidents sparked criticism from players, coaches and fans.
A-League bosses have sidelined several video referees from VAR duties, including ALeague referee Shaun Evans, after his intervention led to two Mariners’ yellow cards becoming reds.
Wout Brama and Jake McGing will have to serve onematch suspensions unless their club decides to appeal, after the match review panel upheld the dismissals against the Wanderers on Saturday night.
Neither, though, would have been sent off under urgent guidelines issued to the VARs yesterday, which told them to refocus on only the most significant game-changing decisions.
The VARs have been told not to recommend upgrading yellow cards to reds, as happened to the Mariners on the say-so of Evans, except in the most extreme cases.
Brama and McGing were initially only booked by match referee Alex King.
The video refs have been told to use the same terms of reference as the match review panel, which has the power to act when a yellow card has been issued but only does so in similarly extreme cases.
A-League bosses also had to clarify how the VAR would affect the ability of the match review panel to sanction players.
The MRP can only act where an incident has escaped the referee’s attention, but some club officials argued that with the VAR theoretically re- viewing all incidents, the MRP would in effect be re-refereeing the game if it was to then cite a player if he wasn’t punished in a game.
Head of A-League Greg O’Rourke yesterday clarified that where the video referee doesn’t mention an incident to the match referee, the MRP can take action afterwards.
But where the VAR mentions an incident to the match referee during the game, it will be deemed to have been dealt with on the pitch – meaning the MRP cannot act.
Sydney FC striker Bobo was at the centre of controversy on Friday night, when his kick at Melbourne City defender Manny Muscat was reviewed by VAR Strebre Delovski, who told match referee Shaun Evans that it was arguable whether it was worthy of a red card, a point of view Evans was happy to accept.
That means Bobo could not be cited by the MRP and is free to play in Sydney’s trip to Wellington on Saturday.
O’Rourke was forced to issue a statement on Sunday insisting that the VAR would not be abandoned mid-season, as it is part of a global trial.