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The Impact of VAR and How It Changed Football

For most of us, football is nothing short of an emotion. If you can’t decide on what’s your favourite game, ask yourself the following questions: Does the game remind you of those rainy days when all you did was play football with unparalleled vigour, getting drenched and jumping through puddles? Or, do you miss those evenings when you sat with a bowl of popcorn with your father, enjoying the UEFA Champions League? Did you ever feel the pain from the four-year-long wait for the FIFA World Cup? If you answer ‘YES’ to these questions, football is much more than a game for you.

Your intense love for football urges you to stay updated with all the latest news on the field. And you also pay heed to the technicalities of the game. Football has constantly been evolving, and the gameplay is getting modernised with every passing day. To hold the referees less accountable for calling all those fouls against your favourite player, the concept of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has come into play. And it has been widely accepted by all the prominent football leagues to increase gameplay accuracy.

What is a Video Assistant Referee?

The VAR is basically a support official of the match that provides backup assistance to referees to make profound gameplay decisions. In the 2018/2019 set of rules for the game, the resolution of using VAR during football matches was introduced. Although the decision to include Video Match Officials (VMOs) was widely debated among football fans, it has been implemented in many significant tournaments since its inception.

However, one must realise that the VAR does not have absolute control in making decisions. It can only come into effect in certain situations:

When a goal happens or an attack results in a goal.
When a referee takes a penalty decision or an attack leads to a penalty.
When the referee shows any player a red card directly, that is, without prior warning.
When a referee mistakes a player’s identity.

Throughout the gameplay, the VARs are on the lookout for any serious errors of the referee that might change the course of the game through the game score. If they spot any errors, they directly contact the referee on the field and ask them to review their decision.

The video assistant team is usually seated at a distant location. The live cameras from the gameplay’s stadium broadcast the match live on their screen; these slow-motion and ultra-slow-motion devices are connected to the video referee room via an optic-fibre network. And the referee present on the field converses with the VAR through a radio-fibre-link network.

Thus, the video assistant referees check on the actual referee’s decision-making to ensure fair gameplay standards on the field.

Pros and Cons of VAR

Implementing VAR software has severe pros and cons, like any other technology advancement. They are as follows:

Pros

Improved Decision-Making: Since the referee of a football match does a critical job and makes significant decisions, a check is required. Before VAR came into existence, the referee’s decision on the field was final; but even they are allowed to make mistakes as humans. Thus, VAR has impacted the current situation as referees can now easily switch their decision following VAR’s advice.
Gameplay Excitement: Football without on-field drama is like Mojito without lemons. During VAR decisions, there is usually about a five-minute delay that occurs while reviewing the referee’s decision. And during these times, the fans’ excitement levels are at their peak. Thus, VAR adds an element of suspense and thrill that make the matches more enticing.
Steering Clear of Controversies: More often than not, fans root for their favourite teams to such an extent that they blame the referee for every decision they take against their favourite team. Sometimes, the judgement might be truly fallible, and one wrong decision can even alter a player’s career trajectory. VAR has been implemented to ensure maximum satisfaction of fans and to respect players’ efforts on the field so that there is no speck of doubt regarding a referee’s decision.

Cons

In-Game Delay: Since football is a superb game bound by a time limit, any delay during gameplay is not feasible and disturbs the game’s outcome. Halting the gameplay midway creates tension among players, especially during the last minutes, and affects their performance.
Doesn’t Ensure Transparency: When a VAR calls out any incorrect decision by the on-field referee, they undergo deliberations to reach the final conclusion. Unlike other games, these communication threads between the VAR team and the referee are not accessible to the public. So, fans are not completely satisfied and might claim some decisions to be controversial.

How VAR Changed Modern Football?

To decide the impact of VAR on modern football, we need to consider its advantages and disadvantages. Indeed, VAR has increased the accuracy of referee decisions by adopting means of a review of the field’s gameplay. It satisfies players and their fans as they cannot be incorrectly penalised due to the referee’s wrong decision. While the English Premier Leagues have laid out arguments for and against using VAR, the World Cup has successfully implemented Video Assistant Referee FIFA.

Also, you need to undergo high spending to implement it. Although it creates unpredictable delays during the game, affects its stats and is not fit for use in most matches due to its high cost of implementation, it has incredible features if put to proper use. Overall, it will increase the gameplay’s efficiency and prevent in-game controversies.

Final Word

Football is an ever-evolving game that is subject to constant changes and additions. Similarly, VAR has been a recent addition to the game during 2018-19 and has improved the gameplay since then. It has created an atmosphere of trust among players and increased the fairness of gameplay.

FAQ

1. Has VAR made football better?

On average, VAR has increased the efficiency of decision-making and overturned more than 100 decisions in the English Premier League, thus, incrementing gameplay accuracy by 12%.

2. Can referees ignore football video assistant referees?

VAR can only provide suggestions to referees regarding any seemingly incorrect decision they make. They do not have the final say, and the on-field referee’s decision abides.