VAR - good or bad for the game?

[Salad Dodger]

For me, part of the "joy" of football is/was that the ref was right, even if he was wrong! Sometimes, the decision went in your teams favour, and sometimes it didn't. Whatever the ref decides, play on......
Now, it all has to be viewed frame by frame, and it takes the joy and the passion out of the game.

The rugby ref J P Doyle was, until recently, a Premiership ref (where TV Match Officials continuously review play and can talk to the ref, and show him replays) but has now been "let go". He now plys his trade in America, where there is no TV backup, and said in a YouTube interview this week that he feels less pressure on him now, because there is no person or video to second-guess his decisions. He can just make the call that he believes to be correct, and the game can move on.....

 

[PaulB]

The fans? Pfft, what have the fans got to do with football, anyway?

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-thumbs-down-by-fans-for-premier-league-study

 

[Profpointy]

I'm reminded of the cricket umpire giving a very questionable LBW decision. The batsman remonstrates "that was never out"." Yes it was", says the umpire, "you can check in the paper tomorrow".

 

[matticus]

The fans? Pfft, what have the fans got to do with football, anyway?

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-thumbs-down-by-fans-for-premier-league-study

Oh dear!
"Only 26% of fans – of 33,000 surveyed – support use of VAR"

I wonder how many supported it during development?

 

[PaulB]

Oh dear!
"Only 26% of fans – of 33,000 surveyed – support use of VAR"

I wonder how many supported it during development?

None that I know of. Anyone that did support it was being massively hoodwinked and now they've seen it for its appalling reality, they hate it.

 

[cisamcgu]

I have said this before, and I will say it again. VAR for offside and ball crossing the line scenarios is excellent - it is cut and dried if it happened or didn't. Otherwise, it is like a devil on the shoulder of the referee saying "are you sure, are you sure ?"

 

[Smokin Joe]

None that I know of. Anyone that did support it was being massively hoodwinked and now they've seen it for its appalling reality, they hate it.

It can kill a game stone dead. No matter how clearcut a goal looks to have been you are always waiting for the dreaded "VAR check" message.

 

[matticus]

None that I know of. Anyone that did support it was being massively hoodwinked and now they've seen it for its appalling reality, they hate it.

My memory's rubbish, but I recall plenty of support for appeal systems from fans of almost every sport. By "plenty", I may mean a loud minority! I cannot quote figures ...

 

[PaulB]

My memory's rubbish, but I recall plenty of support for appeal systems from fans of almost every sport. By "plenty", I may mean a loud minority! I cannot quote figures ...

But not fans of football. Not match-going fans anyway. Couch 'fans' or Commodores (once, twice, three times a season) might have not been against it but they're not actual fans. It's killing the game stone dead and as seen from that report above, 44% said it has stopped them wanting to go because of it. There's fans around me - seasoned lads who, like me, go back decades, same place in the ground - who've said they'd rather see a goal stand AGAINST us from a ref's perspective than seen one denied them after consultation with the VAR box. Anyone cheering the other team's denial is spoken to harshly and we don't see them again.

 

[Dave7]

Watching the Blackpool vs Lincoln and the Morecambe games there were several instances when I thought "VAR would over rule that".
However I would rather do without it AND SCREAM at the tv.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Another thing I don't like is stopping the game because the ball hits the referee. It happened in the first half of the England game tonight. Just accept it and let the game carry on.

 

[jowwy]

But not fans of football. Not match-going fans anyway. Couch 'fans' or Commodores (once, twice, three times a season) might have not been against it but they're not actual fans. It's killing the game stone dead and as seen from that report above, 44% said it has stopped them wanting to go because of it. There's fans around me - seasoned lads who, like me, go back decades, same place in the ground - who've said they'd rather see a goal stand AGAINST us from a ref's perspective than seen one denied them after consultation with the VAR box. Anyone cheering the other team's denial is spoken to harshly and we don't see them again.

what a disgusting statement to make........so unless your a season ticket holder and spend thousands a year, your not a fan

and you say i give liverpool fans a bad name

 

[matticus]

Another thing I don't like is stopping the game because the ball hits the referee. It happened in the first half of the England game tonight. Just accept it and let the game carry on.

I think they use their discretion on that? I've certainly seen both options used in the past (don't watch much in the last few years).

 

[matticus]

But not fans of football. Not match-going fans anyway.

Yeah, I can imagine there might be a difference between TV fans and fans at the grounds.

I've struggled to find an equivalent survey from *before* VAR, but this one suggests that many fans did want it, following the trials:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/80-of...ed-in-major-competitions-according-to-survey/

Spoiler: Feb 2018

ALMOST four in five football fans believe a video assistant referee (VAR) should be introduced within major football competitions, according to a survey of 2,000 supporters.

The survey, which asked fans whether VAR should be used in competitions such as the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, found 78% supported the idea, with just 8% of fans rejecting its use within football.

The findings from BonusCodeBets.co.uk also found that the main reason given for not using VAR in matches was a dislike of change within the game. 64% fans who do not want to see the introduction of VAR said this is because football should “stay true to its origins”.

Just half rejected use of the technology on the grounds that it causes too many stoppages during games (49%).

But a quarter of other VAR-sceptics would support its implementation if improvements were made to its current application.

According to fans, the main improvements they would like to see for VAR are:

• 37% would prefer a limit on the number of appeals teams can make
• 34% think video replays of the analysis should be played within stadiums
• A quarter would like to see a stop-clock introduced in matches to prevent time being wasted by VAR
• 23% think referees should have a time limit to make decisions
• One in five would like officials to explain their decisions to spectators, as with rugby or American football

Fans were able to form their opinions on the current use of VAR after the recent trials in cup fixtures and international friendlies, and these helped change the mind of nearly one in five fans, who expressed a newfound support for using video assistants (17%).

 

[jowwy]

Yeah, I can imagine there might be a difference between TV fans and fans at the grounds.

I've struggled to find an equivalent survey from *before* VAR, but this one suggests that many fans did want it, following the trials:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/80-of...ed-in-major-competitions-according-to-survey/

Spoiler: Feb 2018

ALMOST four in five football fans believe a video assistant referee (VAR) should be introduced within major football competitions, according to a survey of 2,000 supporters.

The survey, which asked fans whether VAR should be used in competitions such as the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, found 78% supported the idea, with just 8% of fans rejecting its use within football.

The findings from BonusCodeBets.co.uk also found that the main reason given for not using VAR in matches was a dislike of change within the game. 64% fans who do not want to see the introduction of VAR said this is because football should “stay true to its origins”.

Just half rejected use of the technology on the grounds that it causes too many stoppages during games (49%).

But a quarter of other VAR-sceptics would support its implementation if improvements were made to its current application.

According to fans, the main improvements they would like to see for VAR are:

• 37% would prefer a limit on the number of appeals teams can make
• 34% think video replays of the analysis should be played within stadiums
• A quarter would like to see a stop-clock introduced in matches to prevent time being wasted by VAR
• 23% think referees should have a time limit to make decisions
• One in five would like officials to explain their decisions to spectators, as with rugby or American football

Fans were able to form their opinions on the current use of VAR after the recent trials in cup fixtures and international friendlies, and these helped change the mind of nearly one in five fans, who expressed a newfound support for using video assistants (17%).

ive highlighted an issue with your response......why not just call them fans, why pigeon hole them into different groups???