The VAR conundrum―Should technology oversee refereeing?

Is VAR the future of refereeing in football?

The VAR conundrum―Should technology oversee refereeing? Harry Kane in action with Tunisia's Dylan Bronn and Yassine Meriah | Reuters

The 2018 FIFA World Cup has seen an unprecedented number of penalties awarded. So far, players have stepped up to the dreaded spot, eight different times. Out of these, three penalties were decided after consultation with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). The much publicised innovation has been the subject of heated debate. And as we come to the end of the first round of matches, we are starting to see some of its glaring limitations.

While one of the jobs of VAR is to check if a player has committed a penalty-awarding foul within the penalty box, the VAR has power to overturn the referee’s decision only if he has made an obvious and inarguable mistake. However, when the VAR overturned the referee’s decision to award France a penalty against Australia, many felt the referee had made the right decision to begin with.

However, on another occasion, the VAR awarded Sweden a penalty after one of their players was on the receiving end of a horrendous tackle, which the referee inexplicably missed. This is a perfect example of how VAR should ideally be used. It should be nothing more than a fail-safe to prevent another “Hand of God” kind of situation from happening.

VAR has also come under flack for not detecting blatant fouls inside the penalty box. When England striker Harry Kane was glaringly brought down in the penalty box, not once, but twice in the match against Tunisia, the VAR did not intervene. The Tottenham striker was twice hauled down in the box by Tunisia defenders, in what should have been two clear cut penalties. This led to outrage from fans and ex-players alike.

To make matters worse, the Brazilian Football Confederation are questioning FIFA about the procedures used for video review during Brazil’s match against Switzerland. They felt that striker Gabriel Jesus was fouled in the box and erroneously denied a penalty. They were also angry that the VAR did not pick up a push on defender Miranda that aided Switzerland’s equaliser.

Despite some of its shortcomings, VAR still has the potential to change the game for the better. It is a well-known fact that referees need more help. Some decisions, especially off-sides are virtually impossible to call without the help of technology.

After its introduction, players have also become more cautious when it comes to breaking the rules. Research from Italy suggests that diving is down 23 per cent after the introduction of VAR.

With its imminent introduction to the Premier League, Video Assistant Referees, for better or for worse, are the future of football, and fans should accept the inevitability that technology is the future of refereeing.