Is VAR Ruining Football?

Robbie · April 21

In the FA Cup final at Wembley today, Coventry came back from 3 goals down in the second half to force extra time.

In the second half of extra time Coventry thought they had taken the lead with a few minutes left, but after a VAR check it was ruled out for what looked like a big toe being offside.

Here is the fix frame claiming the man in blue was offside.

Offside was brought into football to stop players goal hanging, but now the fine margins are getting ridiculous.

A history making comeback ruined by VAR that ruled out 3 clear penalties in a PL match today.

**DangerousSausage** · April 23

My heart goes out to Coventry, what an amazing comeback and an incredible moment taken away because of a situation in which no unfair advantage was gained. It's sickening.

I wouldn't blame the official in the TV room, an offside is a binary decision after all. But this fundamentalist interpretation of the offside rule needs a rethink - the point isn't penalising players whose big toes are 1 mm behind an imaginary line, but to prevent forwards gaining an unfair advantage.

Robbie · April 23

Before VAR, when a player was offside the Linesman would put his flag up immediately or keep his flag down, if the player was deemed not to be offside, we knew straight away whether the player was offside or not

Now we have VAR, if there is a very close offside and a goal results the Linesman doesn't put up his flag anyway and it goes to VAR.

What's so bad about that is that the players celebrate and so do the crowd, then we have notice that VAR is investigating.

For me it takes away all what Football used to be. Of course we would have a moan about the Linesman and debate whether it was on or off but because the decision was made immediately, the controversy was much less.

Another thing, if Coventry hadn't have scored from that passage of play, the game would have continued and the player wouldn't have been deemed offside, so we would have never known.

The distrust comes because of the time it takes after a goal is scored to check through VAR, sometimes being more than a minute or so

VAR has changed football. It is as plain as day

Robbie · April 25

More VAR controversy last night in the Wolves v Bournemouth match.

Can you see a foul by any Wolves player in this footage of play, that finishes with a headed goal by Wolves, that finished up being disallowed by a VAR check?

You will see in the bottom corner, a Bournemouth player running into the back of a Wolves player off the ball.

The Wolves player was adjudged to have fouled the Bournemouth player by swinging his arm, which actually missed.

**Chris** · April 26

Personally, I think it was just offside. The angle in the image doesn't quite show that the Coventry player's foot was over the line and ahead of the United defenders. However, it's one of those very close calls which I wouldn't want to be the person actually making the decision.

The issue with VAR will always be the people who oversee it, those that aren't adequately trained and the way that we have implemented it as a quick fix to poor officiating.

Our match officials need to be better trained, as do those who operate the VAR technology, but it should only be used as a last resort. If an incident was missed, if the decision is difficult. I think our officials rely on it far too much, plus players call for VAR checks over every little thing.

Robbie · April 26

I think a big part of the problem too is that the on field officials are not closely watching the flow of the game as they did before VAR, and with the big decisions they are leaving it to the VAR officials.

Robbie · April 27

Robbie · April 30

Football was never like this

We now have independent panels ruling on decisions days after they were made. What good is it going to do now it's done and dusted.

The only sensible decision is to get rid of VAR now.

Robbie · May 1

"VAR has changed the game"

Words from the Spurs boss. Good listen.

**KB1862** · May 2

I recently wrote a blog post on VAR, it's easy to get carried away when writing about VAR because it's failing on every aspect.

VAR can be a good thing in the game but the way it's handled in England just shows how lacking the referees are in this country. Just look at how it's handled elsewhere like major International tournaments. Very little fault with it but in the Premier League it seems to have become a main stay feature with pundits criticising it every single week.

The Forest v Everton situation was the worst VAR performance there has been. Forest were utterly robbed on the day.

The problem with it is referees just don't referee games anymore. They heavily rely on VAR and if they spot something they won't immediately give it incase they're wrong so instead they wait for a call and let someone else decide rather than take the stick for it themselves.

Robbie · May 2

@KB1862 You make an important point that since VAR referees have just switched offand wait for the call, but the VAR officials don't seem to want to embarrass the match referee so we are getting plenty of questionable decisions being made

Robbie · May 3

I like this interview.

**KB1862** · May 5

After watching Match of the Day this morning, it's still clear to see that VAR are still making mistakes.

Bournemouth had a perfectly good goal disallowed due to a little touch on Raya. Not enough to penalise.

Man City got given a penalty for a collision instigated by Gvardiol rather than the other way round. As for the second penalty, it was a stonewall but why was he not sent off as Haaland was clean through on goal?

Everton didn't get a penalty for a trip to McNeil.

The only benefit to VAR is that Luton gave away a penalty when their player was grappling Branthwaite and the referee didn't give it. Now, was this because of VAR or did the ref see it and as to the point I've made previously didn't want to give it incase it made them look bad?

Robbie · May 5

@KB1862

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but let's be honest, the PL & the TV Companies want the PL title race to go to the last game for maximum exposure, worldwide viewing, and potential extra TV advertising revenue.

NFFC won't get to hear if they have any points returned, pending their appeal, till the last minute because the powers that be want the relegation battle to go to the last game too.

Unfortunately in the PL now, money sets the agenda.

**KB1862** · May 7

@Robbie

Of course, there's no denying there's corruption going on. Hate to say it and hate to be the conspiracy theorist like you say but it's so blatant they want exactly what you've said.

I asked one of my mates, who's a forest fan, whether they'd like to play derby next season or stay in the Prem and his response was despite the corruption of the PL he'd much rather stay at the top.

But without VAR, there's more chance of referees and the PL getting away with it.

Robbie · May 7

@KB1862 we now know that NFFC's appeal failed & the 4 points deducted remains.

Burnley are not relegated, at least until Saturday, & Luton can fight on too.

The media have their wish of keeping interest and viewing figures alive until Saturday at least.

As I've said on another thread, I'd rather Forest stay up, as it suits Notts financially too with the floating fan,who can't get a ticket to see Forest, probably taking their family to see Notts, boosting Notts attendances a& revenue

menzinho · May 8

I think VAR does have a place in football, I just don’t agree with the way it’s used currently. I thought it was going to be used for clear and obviously mistakes, but it seems they check everything and every goal, even when they don’t need too. When you’re having to look at things for 3/4 minutes it can’t be a clear or oblivious mistake… I don’t want to force them into making more mistakes by applying time constraints or just the one replay but if it’s an obvious mistake you should, in theory, spot it straight away.

Another grievance I have is the handball rule, deliberate handball we’re told, but so many times I’ve seen balls smashed at players who are about 5 yards away and it hits their arm that’s slightly away from their body and penalty is given. VAR never overrules it either.

**KB1862** · May 8

1 hour ago, menzinho said:

I think VAR does have a place in football, I just don’t agree with the way it’s used currently.

100% agree with this. If it was used to the effectiveness as it has the potential to, it would be so beneficial to the game.

1 hour ago, menzinho said:

I’ve seen balls smashed at players who are about 5 yards away and it hits their arm that’s slightly away from their body and penalty is given.

Another thing I have an issue with as well, there is no consistency regarding handball. In some games we see handball given due to unnatural movement/shape yet in another game that's an almost identical situation there's nothing given.

Robbie · May 9

Another clanger by a Referee and Linesman, this time in injury time at the end of the Champions League Semi final 2nd leg between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich when Bayern scored a goal but it was ruled out for offside.

The Linesman put his flag up for offside and VAR could not intervene. The Linesman should have waited till play had stopped before putting up his flag.

Let's be honest here, the footballing authorities didn't want an all German final at Wembley

**Joshua** · May 9

Did anyone catch the Champions League semi-final match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich?

There were several instances where VAR was used, and I thought the officials handled it brilliantly. They were quicker and more decisive than the officials in the Premier League. I concur with earlier remarks that it's more about how VAR is utilised and put into practice. It could be a helpful tool for assistance, but problems arise when it's depended upon excessively.

**KB1862** · May 10

On 09/05/2024 at 08:22, Robbie said:

Let's be honest here, the footballing authorities didn't want an all German final at Wembley

Happened in 2013 between Dortmund and Bayern tbf.

The decision in the game between Madrid and Bayern was a farce for the offside. Linesman are told to keep the flag down and let it play out but he didn't and flagged immediately. Referees and Linesman have the addition of VAR to help them on the pitch, what should have happened was let it play out like they're supposed to and then allow VAR to do the job it's there for and check whether the goal was legit or needed to be ruled out. Personally I think had it gone to VAR it would have been given as a goal. Ridiculous ending to the game.

Robbie · May 10

@KB1862 The Assistant Referee in this case failed to follow the convention that they should delay raising the flag till the move is over.

Bayern Munich could have a good case for having the match replayed, but it will never happen.

Why? Because they will say that when the flag went up, the Madrid players stopped, thus allowing the Munich goal.

Like everything else involving VAR it will be just passed over and the World will move on.

But it is now apparent that the introduction of VAR has changed football for ever.

liampie · May 11

i still think its how we implement it that makes the difference, but the current system is making things a joke. although i dont think forest fans can continue to blame var, the officials and the premier league. they broke the rules and thats that,

Robbie · May 11

@liampie agree the current system is a joke.

Everton, & Forest of course broke the rules, however the rules favour the big six which makes the rules very unfair to all the other 86 league clubs including Notts.

**KB1862** · May 15

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