Recently, the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in football has sparked intense debate among fans, players and pundits alike. While VAR was intended to increase the accuracy of decisions, some say it may be taking away from the enjoyment of the sport.
We can point to a few key issues with VAR that have led many to question its impact on the game. The first, of course, is the inconsistency of VAR decisions. While the technology is intended to remove human error, officials still need to interpret the technology correctly. This has led to occasions where decisions have been misinterpreted and the result has been wrong. This inevitably leads to outrage from fans on the wrong side of the decision. In a recent match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, the VAR assistant referee made a wrong decision that resulted in an unfairly disallowed goal at Liverpool's expense.
Equally controversial are the microscopic margins involved in offside decisions. On countless occasions, for example, players have been called offside because a mere hand was in an offside position. Fans have complained that the thrill of celebrating a goal is taken away when players and fans have to wait for VAR's final verdict. Ultimately, this has raised the question of whether the joy of the game is being overshadowed by the frustration of VAR's interventions.
However, it is important to remember that VAR has not been a complete failure. On many occasions, it has proved to be very helpful in providing camera angles to make fair decisions. At the highest level, however, getting the decision right should be standard, and this has not been the case in many of its applications.
