VAR and the Law

VAR will be, definitively, positive for football. It gives referees the chance to review game changing decisions and accurately make a judgement on them. It is baffling how some seem to have an aversion to more fair and accurate refereeing decisions.

There are, of course, some teething problems that need to be sorted out, but it will be for the overall benefit of the game. The odd system of the screen by the halfway line could potentially be done away with, as well as the TV feed actually showing what the VAR official is looking at. These are doable changes, though, and should not stand in the way of something that will improve the game.

While there has been VAR controversy in the past week, it is something that says less about VAR itself and more about the more badly defined rules of the game. Nicolas Otamendi’s handball against Schalke on Wednesday night exposed the ongoing confusion surrounding the handball rule.

The IFAB rules are somewhat vague on the matter. They ask that a referee ‘considers’ the movement of the hand towards the ball and the distance between the opponent and the ball, but offer no direct guidelines on how exactly a referee should rule in such a situation. Before, such decisions were acknowledged to be down to how the referee interpreted the action in real time. Now, VAR painstakingly exposes the vagueness of the handball rule.

The way certain incidents look when replayed is also something that needs to be considered. It is generally accepted that offences often look worse and more blatant when in slow motion. This is difficult for a referee to consider when doing a VAR review during a match, though. If the ball is seen to hit a hand in agonising slow motion, it is very hard for the referee not to call handball.

It is a tricky situation for officials. IFAB, however, are looking to clarify the issue. After initially meeting in November to discuss the matter, footballs rule makers are planning to announce some rewordings to the handball rule on the 2nd March. Hopefully, this will go some distance in clearing up the matter.

So with rule changes coming to clear up certain discrepancies in the laws of the game, what about the actual process of VAR? Surely, a look to those who practice with an oval shaped ball would be a good idea.

Rugby has successfully operated with video referees for a number of years now, and they generally don’t cause any issues. Indeed, the suspense of waiting for the big screen to display the TMO’s decision has become an accepted part of the atmosphere in matches. There’s no reason why a similar thing can’t happen in football.

The big difference currently is the TV on the halfway line that football referees use when reviewing a decision. It seems an unnecessary step in the VAR process that could easily be eliminated. The referee is able to speak through an ear and mouth piece to the video assistant, so why can’t they simply discuss the decision together like in rugby? A major complaint about VAR is the clunky and time consuming nature of it. Cutting out the TV on the halfway line aspect would certainly streamline the process, making it far quicker.

VAR is a process that still needs refining, but it will improve football. Nobody can argue against a sport being more fair. It has also exposed inadequacies in the wordings of some rules, which are looking to be updated to provide clarity. With VAR having been present at the World Cup, in some of Europe’s top leagues and now in the Champions League, it is now here to stay. It is most certainly a positive thing.