VAR and the new ball
IF PLAY in the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup is scrappy at first, don’t blame the players. If that does happen, the change in quality will more likely be due to the introduction of a new match ball. It’s a classic case of unfortunate timing.
In the past, new match balls were introduced at the start of the World Cup. By the time the knockout stage began, the remaining teams and players would have had a chance to play with the new ball. In 2018, the change is being made when the stakes are highest.
The ball used so far is the adidas Telstar 18. It will be replaced by the Telstar Mechta.
It’s a huge risk. The tournament already has had its fair share of unexpected results. The provision of the video assistant referee (VAR) service has come in for criticism, but no one can deny that it is right for the times. When Frank Lampard ‘scored’ for England against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, his shot struck the crossbar and bounced two feet inside the goal.
VIOLATIONS ELIMINATED
German keeper Manuel Neuer simply ‘saved’ the day by grabbing the ball and continuing as if nothing had ever happened. VAR and goal line technology have eliminated those types of violations.
It’s a pity that the new ball and VAR weren’t introduced earlier so that glitches could’ve been smoothed away. To my mind, the World Cup shouldn’t be a test bed. It should be a showcase for football.
The reality is that the ball has gone over the byline for this World Cup. There’s no chance that the introduction of the Telstar Mechta will be deferred until after the World Cup. It’s clear that some of the referees in Russia, host of the tournament, are learning to use the VAR. The sport abounds with age-group and regional tournaments that both the ball and the VAR should have arrived at the World Cup as known quantities.
Perhaps, in the future, new prototype balls will be tested at the Confederations Cup, which always is a year ahead of the World Cup. Any difference in flight or bounce would be seen there and with familiarity, the footballer could focus on technique and tactics with no World Cup worries about the ball.
SUCCESS AND FAILURE
The margin between success and failure in Russia has already been wafer thin. Ask those teams who have suffered last-minute, VAR–adjudicated penalty losses. One coach accused the referee of war crimes. Others are equally bitter.
If the new ball makes those margins even thinner, it will be painful, and the spectacle will suffer. The pity is that with better timing, the game, its sponsors, and its fans could all have been winners. Hopefully, the players still in this World Cup will be able to adjust quickly enough.