VAR - good or bad for the game?

[PaulB]

It's absolutely hideous. The very essence of football has been taken away with this abomination. Do they have it at Doncaster Rovers or Prescott Cables stadiums (it is, alright!) No, so why is it a different game once you descend the leagues?

But the main thing is the elimination of the main high of football, the orgasm-like WHOOOSHHHHH of your team scoring. Now, all the spontaneous joy has been stolen as you have to wait until you see what that hatchet-faced bastard-in-the-black is being told in his earpiece.

Now that the game's being officiated remotely, it won't be long until it's played remotely by Singaporean child-Gods from inside air-conditioned studios due to their ability on a games console.

 

[stephec]

Anything that makes sport fairer and stops stumpy cheating Argies getting away with hand of god type incidents, is good by me.

You forgot to add, 'druggie,' in there as well.

 

[nickyboy]

It is a good thing. However we are in a transition period. VAR has shown that there were lots of previously incorrect decisions when you apply the current rules rigorously. But the current rules weren't designed for such intense scrutiny (offside rule, I'm looking at you). So I think we will see a relaxing in the wording of certain rules, which VAR will then rigorously apply.

I think we will see a change in the offside rule, for example to say that both the attacking players feet must be offside. It tips the balance in favour of the attacker which counteracts the intense VAR scrutiny. I'm sure there will be others

I see Wenger (who has some official capacity in football these days) has come out and said almost the same as this
He's suggesting that so long as any part of the attacker which could score a goal (ie not an arm) is in line with the defender, it isn't offside
There's nothing wrong with VAR determining whether some rule has been broken in scoring a goal. What's wrong is that the current offside rule favours the defender too much

 

[swee'pea99]

Great comment from whoever was handling the Spurs match on last night's MOTD2 - so good I made the effort to go back and transcribe it word for word:

"But VAR are playing their games here and looking to see whether a beautifully crafted moment of footballing joy should be snuffed out by a piece of miserable geometry."

I thought 'miserable geometry' particularly fine!

​

 

[Drago]

It's absolutely hideous. The very essence of football has been taken away with this abomination.

The very essence of football died when they ceased to be sportsmen and became thespians. Anyone rolling around in "oh my god he smashed my pelvis" agony, who is then running around quite happily less than a minute later, should be banned the rest of the season for attempting to fraudulently influence a game.

Until they can be trusted to behave likes sportsmen - or women - then the only way to ensure a fair and equitable result is some kind of external evidential assessment process. Start behaving themselves and conducting the game with good manners then the need for it disappears, the flow improves, and the whole affair becomes more sporting, comradely and enjoyable. If a marginal call by a ref is accepted with good grace, instead of face offs and even violence, then the need for such measures disappears. This is why other team sports manage to do nicely without it.

The footballists brought it upon themselves, and seem to have forgotten in their feigned indignation that they're the ones with the ability to make it go away. It's the players themselves killing the flow and momentum, and nothing else.

 

[PaulB]

The very essence of football died when they ceased to be sportsmen and became thespians. Anyone rolling around in "oh my god he smashed my pelvis" agony, who is then running around quite happily less than a minute later, should be banned the rest of the season for attempting to fraudulently influence a game.

Until they can be trusted to behave likes sportsmen - or women - then the only way to ensure a fair and equitable result is some kind of external evidential assessment process. Start behaving themselves and conducting the game with good manners then the need for it disappears, the flow improves, and the whole affair becomes more sporting, comradely and enjoyable. If a marginal call by a ref is accepted with good grace, instead of face offs and even violence, then the need for such measures disappears. This is why other team sports manage to do nicely without it.

The footballists brought it upon themselves, and seem to have forgotten in their feigned indignation that they're the ones with the ability to make it go away. It's the players themselves killing the flow and momentum, and nothing else.

No, you're wrong. Its done much better here....

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqpJ6XYykHE

 

[postman]

Drago for FIFA President.I agree with you.

 

[PaulB]

Extremely bad last night and again today. The technocrats in charge have made football a laughing stock with the interpretation of this. The Dutch FA have shunned the FIFA directive and give 'buffer zones' of 5-10cm so if the supposed errant armpit is inside that zone, the beeswing of a difference doesn't matter and the goal stands. As it should.

 

[Dave7]

LFC Vs Villa.
No way was that offside despite what VAR decided.

 

[PaulB]

LFC Vs Villa.
No way was that offside despite what VAR decided.

It was the season before last I think, same two teams at Villa Park when Bobby's ARMPIT was declared offside! His armpit! It was then we knew VAR had turned a much-loved sport into a total laughing stock.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

The Dutch FA have shunned the FIFA directive and give 'buffer zones' of 5-10cm

I've not heard that, Paul, and there's nothing about it on the Dutch FA's website.

 

[VelvetUnderpants]

LFC Vs Villa.
No way was that offside despite what VAR decided.

I didn't think it was offside, its ridiculous decisions like this which are ruining the game.

Cracking injury time goal 😭😭

 

[PaulB]

I've not heard that, Paul, and there's nothing about it on the Dutch FA's website.

I tried unsuccessfully to find it then but I read that yesterday in an online comment about the farce of VAR. It read something on the lines of the Dutch FA pay lip service to the directive but an official of theirs explained on national TV how it's actually interpreted.

The HUGE problem with VAR is that it sucks the joy out of the game when you can't celebrate until every last nuance of the move is analysed. What's the world coming to? It's like waiting ages in a restaurant for your food and they bring it to your table - but prevent you from eating it until an official studies every ingredient's certification and validity before they let you eat it, cold. The diners at other tables cheer if the officials find an i hasn't been dotted and take your food off you.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

it sucks the joy out of the game

Exacerbated by the fact you're sat at home watching on TV, at least in the ground you can moan to your mates and relieve some of your frustrations.

 

[PaulB]

Exacerbated by the fact you're sat at home watching on TV, at least in the ground you can moan to your mates and relieve some of your frustrations.

No, it's worse in the ground. The main reason to go - psychologically - is the group orgasm of release when your team score and everyone jumps up fists pumping the air. You celebrate with thousands of like-minded individuals, all brought together on the most primal of all levels. The entrance fee and inconvenience of being there at some stupid time on some stupid day is justified in those moments. But now we've let a faceless official grant us permission to do that! Football's finished if this goes on.