Video technology given welcome byWarnock – but system must be right
CARDIFF City manager Neil Warnock has said he’s glad Video Assistant Referees are set to be introduced into the Football League in the near future, but admits he’s relieved it won’t be in use next season as the system needs to be “perfected”.
The Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) are aiming to introduce the technology – which allows officials to review certain decisions using video technology during the course of a match – into the game in time for the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
It will be used in the FA Cup next season and has been seen in use during the Confederations Cup in Russia.
But Warnock admits while he’s happy to see the technology being tried out in recent months, he stressed that he’s relieved it won’t be called upon during the Bluebirds’ Championship campaign next year as the system is yet to be perfected.
“Video refereeing is on the way and I’m in favour,” the Cardiff boss told You Are The Ref.
“But I’ll tell you this, there’ll be a lot more hiccups to come before they get the system right. And even then, it won’t end all controversy. There will still be mistakes.
“Right now, I’m just glad we won’t see it in England next season. Apart from the FA Cup, that is, and I don’t mind that.
“You’ve got to experiment to get the best system perfected and, as we’ve seen from other competitions around the world, the trials are necessary towards that.
“A lot depends on the quality and experience of the guys who look at the replays, the Video Assistant Referees as they’re being called. If they don’t grasp what’s required and have the knowledge to make a judgement then you will still get human error. In fact, I can’t see a way to eradicate mistakes completely.
“But it’s important that the official watching the monitors is on a par with the match referee, the man in the middle.
“How’s it going to look for a junior referee to overrule a very experienced one at the top of his career? And will he be prepared to do so if necessary. This, for me, is a vital consideration.
“We can’t have the nonsense we’ve had with assessors over the years – where, in some cases, a nonleague referee is coming in to judge a seasoned league match official. I’ve always argued against that.
“I know from being a TV pundit on many occasions that sometimes you can argue over a decision for minutes on end and still not everybody will be in agreement.
“That’s because a lot of refereeing is subjective and based on opinion – one man’s foul is not another man’s foul, one man’s yellow card is another’s red card. If in doubt, go with the referee.
“In many ways, we don’t want to lose all that from the game. It’s part of the drama and excitement. We all love a good argument and I’ve never been backward in coming forward in that respect.
“But where things are clear cut diving, for instance – I’m all in favour of replays helping.”