VAR

[Risso]

That tackle on Kane was as clear a penalty as you will ever see.  Mike Dean is Billy Big Bollocks in refereeing circles so the VAR assessors keep their noses up his arse and decline e to overrule him.

That's what the commentators alluded to, which makes me think we're giving up all the spotaneity and fun of football for not very much.  If the VAR team aren't going to overrule their mates when it's that obvious, then they can poke it quite frankly.

[Pete3206]

Yet more proof that VAR is a joke. The referee and a room full of clowns with every conceivable camera angle, couldn't call a stonewall penalty.

Not fit for purpose.

[AllanW]

Yet more proof that VAR is a joke. The referee and a room full of clowns with every conceivable camera angle, couldn't call a stonewall penalty.

Not fit for purpose.

+1

[brian green]

That Kane call today tells me that VAR will be used for very minor incidents like a toe offside but not for basic fouls.  The bloody horrors of VAR will be inflicted on the game to enable nits to be picked.  Major incidents like dragging down a centre forward as he is about to score will be botched with a shrug.  Or in Dean's case today when challenged by the Spurs players AFTER the VAR decision had been made,  he pointed to his ear piece as much as to say "not me, it was them in the stands.  I only blow the whistle."

[Whiney MacWhineface]

VAR is a joke.  Clear and obvious penalty for Spurs not given by the ref, then also not given by VAR.  What's the point of it then?

Indeed. Earlier, a Bournemouth player missed the ball and trod on Agüero’s foot bringing him down, as every subsequent angle showed. VAR evaluated and shrugged. Mystified.

[Risso]

I don't like VAR, but could put up with it if it leads to a right decision.  If it doesn't, we're getting all the bad stuff and still having to put up with shit decisions.

[PeterWithesShin]

I agree, so it doesn't give pens for Kane or Silva despite them both being penalties, so what's the point of it. Either give the correct decision every time or bin it.

[OzVilla]

Agreed, an absolutely pointless piece of technology if its going to be used so arbitrarily.  You just create a greater clusterfuck doing it that way.

They've used VAR (they call it the Bunker) in Rugby League in Asutralia for the last couple of seasons. It's done nothing but create more controversy.  They've also moved to having 2 on field refs that work as a team - one behind the play one in front.  They still get things wrong. 

[Nev]

The myth that using VAR will get decisions correct till exists. Fouls are always going to be subjective, all VAR does is ask for a second opinion.

For years people cited Tennis, Rugby and Cricket as examples but in almost all cases in those sports it's a decision based on fact, not opinion. The handball/offside VAR decisions may be factual but they have not made the rules clear enough for the video ref to come to a definitive decision so we have a shitty mess full of conjecture and argument. If people are hell bent on demanding the correct outcome every time just feed the data of each team into a computer and see what the result is, all human error, player or official is removed.

If you look at the cricket, much has been made of Joel Wilson's error in not calling the LBW yesterday, but Nathan Lyon made an equally crucial mistake. Why does a player get a pass but the umpire doesn't? Those errors just added to the drama. As did Paine's decision to refer just a few moments earlier.

I still see a second yellow card as a potential game changing decision yet there is no referral so what's the fuckin point.? Give it back to the ref and let's get on with it for fucks sake.

[dave shelley]

And there you have it in a few words.  As I have stated on here many times to the point of boredom that the laws of football are so wide open to interpretation that you as a player/team are going to be at the whim of a human being.  Ok, VAR will go some way to removing some of the ambiguity from the game but as Nev has alluded to, it all comes back to a human decision and, as we saw yesterday if, as alleged some humans hold a certain sway over others then the whole concept of VAR is, imo redundant.  Who police's the policeman?

[ktvillan]

Anywhere else on the pitch and the Kane challenge would be given as a foul.  Probably the Silva one as well if seen.  It show VAR official are just as prone to bottling penalty decisions as on the field refs. 

Accidental slip or not the Newcastle player took Kane out as he was about to shoot.  Compare the penalty awarded int he CL final against Spurs where the defender had zero chance of getting out of the way, and anyway it arguably hit his shoulder.   Ludicrous decisions despite re-runs. 

[ChicagoLion]

It looks like they will not over rule a refs decision on a penalty but they will over rule a goal decision.
It does not make any sense.

[chrisw1]

The myth that using VAR will get decisions correct till exists. Fouls are always going to be subjective, all VAR does is ask for a second opinion.

For years people cited Tennis, Rugby and Cricket as examples but in almost all cases in those sports it's a decision based on fact, not opinion. The handball/offside VAR decisions may be factual but they have not made the rules clear enough for the video ref to come to a definitive decision so we have a shitty mess full of conjecture and argument. If people are hell bent on demanding the correct outcome every time just feed the data of each team into a computer and see what the result is, all human error, player or official is removed.

If you look at the cricket, much has been made of Joel Wilson's error in not calling the LBW yesterday, but Nathan Lyon made an equally crucial mistake. Why does a player get a pass but the umpire doesn't? Those errors just added to the drama. As did Paine's decision to refer just a few moments earlier.

I still see a second yellow card as a potential game changing decision yet there is no referral so what's the fuckin point.? Give it back to the ref and let's get on with it for fucks sake.

Or just let it bed in and get it right.

As for rugby, a lot of the decisions are far from factual - it deals with foul play anywhere on the field and any potential offences leading up to a try.

We've been moaning for years about duff decisions, diving, off side goals, people not being sent off in cup finals, Patrick Bamford being a ****** etc etc.  I just don't get why people aren't prepared to work through the various teething problems to get a system that works and hopefuly improves the fairness of the game in the long run.

[dave.woodhall]

The myth that using VAR will get decisions correct till exists. Fouls are always going to be subjective, all VAR does is ask for a second opinion.

For years people cited Tennis, Rugby and Cricket as examples but in almost all cases in those sports it's a decision based on fact, not opinion. The handball/offside VAR decisions may be factual but they have not made the rules clear enough for the video ref to come to a definitive decision so we have a shitty mess full of conjecture and argument. If people are hell bent on demanding the correct outcome every time just feed the data of each team into a computer and see what the result is, all human error, player or official is removed.

If you look at the cricket, much has been made of Joel Wilson's error in not calling the LBW yesterday, but Nathan Lyon made an equally crucial mistake. Why does a player get a pass but the umpire doesn't? Those errors just added to the drama. As did Paine's decision to refer just a few moments earlier.

I still see a second yellow card as a potential game changing decision yet there is no referral so what's the fuckin point.? Give it back to the ref and let's get on with it for fucks sake.

Or just let it bed in and get it right.

As for rugby, a lot of the decisions are far from factual - it deals with foul play anywhere on the field and any potential offences leading up to a try.

We've been moaning for years about duff decisions, diving, off side goals, people not being sent off in cup finals, Patrick Bamford being a c*** etc etc.  I just don't get why people aren't prepared to work through the various teething problems to get a system that works and hopefuly improves the fairness of the game in the long run.

Maybe we like the misery.

[cdbearsfan]

I don't. I want to see cheats like Bamford punished, and I want to make it more difficult for referees to give ludicrous penalties to the home side at Old Trafford. VAR should help. It needs to improve, but judging by how it is working now compared to just a few months ago at the Women's World Cup, it already is improving rapidly.