We must get hi-tech support more involved

Video Assistant Refereeing will help raise the credibility of our refereeing again. The mistakes that referees have been making over the past couple of years – some of them quite critical to the result – no one wants to be involved in that. The whole aim of the current experiment is to achieve a better degree of accuracy. All the authorities are saying quite clearly that this is about enhancing the decisionmaking process for the referee and not taking away his authority.

The perception of the spectator is that this is the be all and end all and there is not going to be any future conflict and errors. We know that is not the case.

There will also be some difficulties for referees and VARS getting used to the system and that is going to cause some problems.

I think there are seven leagues that are now operating it around the world and there has been the odd hiccup. But, generally, it has been a positive introduction.

I can understand it having a limited opportunity to begin with and I think the four elements – goals, straight red cards, penalties and mistaken identity – are a good start. But I just feel there needs to be even greater involvement in other clear and obvious incidents.

Why not let the VAR just operate almost like an assistant referee and be part of the team? And if he sees something that is wrong then he can have that input for any decision.

Keith Hackett is a former referee and resident expert for Youraretheref.com An official’s mistake such as the one committed when Tottenham played Swansea City last week could be averted. Fernando Llorente was clearly offside before heading the first Spurs goal.