Refree’s chief has decided that actions will be taken to prevent VAR technology to reduce the entertainment and intensity of the game.
VAR has been subject of massive criticism by the fans, as it has allegedly brought down the intensity and charm of the game. Therefore, the Premier league fans are anxious as the technology will be launched in the league from the following season.
In the Women’s World Cup, England’s national team were disallowed in successive games out in France over the most dubious of margins. After which, the Lionesses’ manager Phil Neville said “I don’t know where the game is going,”.
Meanwhile, several fans are showing genuine concerns against VAR, as it is allegedly sapping emotions out of the game, delaying celebrations, and encouraging officials to punish the utterly pedantic.
However, considering such conflicts, Referee’s chief in England Mike Riley has insisted that certain steps will be taken to ensure what should be a beneficial tool doesn’t end up ruining the excitement.
Riley talked to the Times in an interview, and said certain leniency will be given in certain instances to keep up with the game-play in England.
Leniency on handballs
Riley claims that certain kind of penalties would not have been given in England, while citing the early penalty awarded to Liverpool after Moussa Sissoko was charged with a handball in the Champions league final.
“What we don’t want to create is a culture when defenders have to defend with their hands behind their back or where it is acceptable for attackers to try to drill the ball at their hand to win a penalty,” he explained.
More leniency will also be afforded to ‘keepers to allow them to encroach to a reasonable degree.
Similar instances were also seen at the Women’s World Cup, where there was also outcry over goalkeepers being made to stay on their line for penalties.
Delays will be minimal
Furthermore, there will be no no VAR replays on pitchside monitors, except in special circumstances. Riley added:
“We have said the referee should not go to the pitchside monitor unless the VAR’s decision is completely out from what he expects.
“There have been examples at the Women’s World Cup, really subjective decisions, where it has taken three or four minutes and you can avoid all that as long as the advice the VAR has given you is something that the referee expects.”
Indeed, some of the few instances has increased the time of the match, and VAR could have been avoided with the referee remaining with his original decision. For example, Thiago Silva’s foul against Peru last night.
Therefore, with its advancements, there is a need of reforming the VAR technology to make it as precise with minimal flaws as possible.
