VIDEO ASSISTED REFEREE (VAR)
It’s one of the latest tech innovations to make its way to the soccer field – but the controversial video assisted referee (VAR) left plenty of fans cold.
During each match, officials – fully kitted out, as if they were replacement referees ready to take to the pitch – watched the game from a venue away from the stadium in the host country.
They had access to all 33 cameras inside the stadium, able to capture every move on the pitch and play it back in slow motion.
The system, used for the first time in a major international tournament, is supposed to be considered in an advisory capacity only.
To minimise disruption, it’s called upon when the officials have made a “clear and obvious error” in a ruling on goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity (if the referee sends off the wrong player).
According to Fifa referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina, a review of footage post-match showed referees called 95% of incidents correctly, but with VAR their accuracy improved to 99,3%.
“We’ve always said that VAR doesn’t mean perfection – there could still be the wrong interpretation or a mistake – but I think you’d agree that 99,3% is very close to perfection,” he said. But not everyone is on board. Were it not for VAR, reigning champs Germany may never have been knocked out of the world cup.
German fans were relieved when Korean Kim Young-gwon’s strike was ruled offside, but VAR showed the ball had come off the legs of Germany’s Toni Kroos. The goal was awarded to South Korea, dashing Germany’s hopes.
And during an earlier England-Tunisia game, fans were baffled when both the ref and VAR missed what looked like two serious fouls when England striker Harry Kane was dragged down in the box.
“Either give the VAR refs more time and accept the delay or the broadcasters have to be working with the VAR officials,” former England assistant manager Gary Neville vented on Twitter.
“VAR going wrong isn’t down to VAR officials. There are two of them in there wading through 26 angles and having to make a call in maybe 20 seconds! It’s an impossible ask!”
‘With VAR, accuracy improved to 99,3%’