https://blog.innerdrive.co.uk/sports/var-and-referee-biases
Does anybody have a link to up to date data?
Does anybody have a link to up to date data?
98% of ref decisions are correct
- Thread starter Pembroke
- Start date
santa sangria
RefChat Addict
Everyone knows you're my secret admirer Santa!
In terms of bias, it's been very noticeable of late that Joe Public is increasingly suspecting bias and even corruption in match officiating
Whilst most people did eventually accept on field mistakes back in the day (admittedly, very reluctantly), Joe Public is suspecting 'foul play' when it comes to VAR on an increasing basis. When VAR drops a clanger (or even when VAR just makes a decision that people don't like), they're unable to swallow it and I think it's really damaging further the relationship between the footy community and us referees
That's not me saying 'I don't like VAR'. That's me commentating on an obvious and worrying trend. People can't make sense of decisions when VAR is confusing matters and they're calling 'foul play' on referees. It's toxic, getting worse and ultimately effects us lower down the levels
It seems pretty clear to me, regardless of facts, VAR is definitely damaging the fragile reputation between the football "community" (players, managers, fans etc) and referees. My opinion is that it needs to go. Football is not a black and white sort of sport, so trying to shoehorn in VAR doesn't work. The thing that will improve the acceptance of decisions is not a technological one, its a cultural one. Facts and figures unfortunately will not help.
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Remember it wasn't referees that wanted it, it was the other part of the "football community" you refer to that constantly bleated about incorrect decisions, many of them just as subjective as the decisions that we are now seeing arguments about with VAR. It's a circular argument, football wanted VAR to correct decisions, now they have it and decisions are going against them or they don't agree with the VAR intervention they don't want it any more. If it was scrapped it would take less than a season for the same people that wanted it scrapping to go back to bleating about wrong decisions and how referees need help from technology.
The key thing is to get the use of VAR correct and consistent. Bring in semi-automated offside to speed up decisions and remove, or at least vastly reduce, the chances of lines being drawn incorrectly or being in the wrong place because they can't get the exact point of the ball being kicked. There were lots of complaints about the Diaz offside decision, and it was obviously a very bad human error, but it was the Premier League clubs that voted against using it so to an extent they reap what they sow. And sort out the bar for where VAR get involved, find the right level and leave it there, don't keep moving it and especially not during the season. My view remains that aside from factual things like offside and handling on scoring a goal, it should only get involved for absolute clangers, something that every single person looks at and goes "oops". Things like the Henry handball vs Ireland, missed red card for De Jong in the WC final, etc. If there is any subjectivity in it whatsoever VAR should just stay out of it.
Irrelevant to what @benmc and I are saying. We're commentating on VAR with hindsight whereas you're always harking back to the pre-VAR era in which we all clamoured for technology (some form of VAR) with foresight
We don't have to be stuck with something just because we were wrong
Besides, we didn't know FIFA/IFAB would do a handbrake turn on technology and overwhelm the game with such a dramatic implementation of VAR practically overnight. I for one thought they would do gradual trials and bring in change with some degree of caution.
I'd accept that some form of automated offside will be finally endorsed by the game, but only if it doesn't continue to ruin the game by taking inordinate amounts of checking time
I don't think there's any level of subjectivity which can successfully be layered upon the Referee's existing subjectivity. I didn't know that with foresight, but my view of it with hindsight is really quite clear
We're seeing calamity involving very clear and obvious VAR mistakes on a weekly basis, definitely not limited to the EPL. Both inaction WRT blatant on-field mistakes or blatant wrong intervention by the VAR for correct on field decisions. So why should we continue to expect a different outcome with these clangers by merely tweaking the level of off-field subjectivity? Not to mention the impact VAR has had WRT on-field Refereeing performance which has suffered badly as a consequence of 'Big Brother'
My overriding point in this thread being... Joe Public thinks the VAR is biased, or even worse... BENT
Joe Public's vitriol for all Referees is being made a lot worse by VAR because Joe Public can't translate the dynamics of VAR into anything other than utter incompetence or corruption. Tell me I'm wrong with this important observation/commentary
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santa sangria
RefChat Addict
Refereeing is so hierarchical and nepotistic that it is very difficult to know what referees (especially top flight referees) really think. AFAIK all top flight referees and aspiring top flight referees are massively in favour in public of VAR because anything else is career suicide.
Yes, and in a hyper analytical football world there should be up to date data on refs and their % of correct decisions, and incorrect.
Anybody?
ChasObserverRefDeveloper
Regular Contributor
Send your idea to PGMOL - Premier League referees are observed (via match video) in that manner currently, but publishing a league table seems pointless.
