A&H

St Johnstone v Rangers

D

DJIC

Well-Known Member
Great example from pre-match to AR ‘only come in on a penalty if I’m staring at you with HELP across my forehead’ 🤣

From 2.10
https://youtu.be/uH2QJFCJNf4?si=TzOovOL_VUxCDqPJ

Referee Matthew MacDermid will be disappointed to have two VAR interventions in 8 minutes.

Looks younger than his 30 years, well done to him for getting to this level.
 
The Referee Store
I can't work out what's happened from this - is he staring daggers at the AR because he's flagged for a PK and the ref doesn't want it and eventually decides to overrule (until VAR pings him), or is he staring waiting to see if he will flag?
 
GraemeS said:
I can't work out what's happened from this - is he staring daggers at the AR because he's flagged for a PK and the ref doesn't want it and eventually decides to overrule (until VAR pings him), or is he staring waiting to see if he will flag?
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You're correct that you can't tell, and it's a rather angry look on his face, but surely he isn't totally ignoring an AR flag there?
 
Surely the AR has not flagged the penalty.

From the AR perspective why flag when there’s VAR if there’s the slightest doubt. I think they both know it’s gonna be a pen and the R is being somewhat ironic.

TBH both pens very clear. Ref looked great. But would he have seen them and called them without the video?
 
Yeah surely he’s waiting for the AR to come in. But with the not ideal angle and VAR incoming, you can imagine why AR hasn’t flagged
 
Surely ideally you’d want the AR to be stepping in, VAR or not, just to avoid the whole process of having to stop the game and go to the screen for the review. I can obviously see why it would be easier to hesitate if at all unsure though.
 
Russell Jones said:
As an AR at this level, this is the perfect opportunity to put your cojones on the line and get the credit for a correct KMD. Ref out of sight (understandably), no offside to worry about and a good view from a credible distance. Kind of decision that can see you accelerating up the merit table nicely .....
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But at this level with VAR is an AR even “allowed” to flag a pen (or DOGSO)… surely not?
 
santa sangria said:
But at this level with VAR is an AR even “allowed” to flag a pen (or DOGSO)… surely not?
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At levels where Comms are used, you're right that it becomes (even) more unusual for an AR to flag for a KMD offence, rather than simply give the referee the info over the airwaves. However the general advice remains that in highly unusual situations, where the AR is clearly the best placed official to be giving the decision, leading with a flag is appropriate / expected. The most typical example would be a right wing cross blocked by the left arm of a defender (in an unnatural position) out of sight of the referee but clearly visible to the AR.

I'm less across VAR protocol but from all that I've seen / heard it remains the responsibility of the on field officials to be getting to the correct on field decision wherever possible. In a situation like the OP, there's clearly a big decision to be made (on way or another) so much better to get it right on field, avoiding the need for a trip to the monitor.
 
santa sangria said:
But at this level with VAR is an AR even “allowed” to flag a pen (or DOGSO)… surely not?
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The on field team is 100% responsible for getting the call on the field correct. The AR, like the R, is supposed to do his job, not hope VAR will bail them out. But there is going to be an exchange on comms before the flag is actually raised.
 
santa sangria said:
But at this level with VAR is an AR even “allowed” to flag a pen (or DOGSO)… surely not?
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The only thing an AR is permitted to do differently in terms of flagging when VAR is in use, is to delay a flag, and only "when a player is about to score a goal or has a clear run into/towards the opponents’ penalty area."

They are not to make any other changes in terms of the procedures they follow. So insofar as they are allowed to flag for a pen or DOGSO in a normal game, they're allowed to do it in a game with VAR.
 
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It's p155 poor for both the Ref and AR to leave this to VAR. The 'stare' from the Ref is good, but I think it's an obvious PK from both angles. I'm certain one of them would've acted in the absence of that nasty fallback option
 
Peter Grove said:
The only thing an AR is permitted to do differently in terms of flagging when VAR is in use, is to delay a flag, and only "when a player is about to score a goal or has a clear run into/towards the opponents’ penalty area."

They are not to make any other changes in terms of the procedures they follow. So insofar as they are allowed to flag for a pen or DOGSO in a normal game, they're allowed to do it in a game with VAR.
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Is that reality though? Can you find any clip of a VAR AR flagging a penalty?
 
santa sangria said:
Is that reality though? Can you find any clip of a VAR AR flagging a penalty?
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If an AR with comms has a PK, all you’ll probably notice is a slow whistle. As I understand how they work, the AR is telling the R through the com in specifically proscribed words to prevent confusion. The R is either going to take the advice by blowing the whistle, or say “no,” and the AR isn’t going to raise the flag because he was essentially waved down before the flag went up, and there is no reason to raise it. I am confident that I have seen MLS video showing how it worked when an AR helped an R on a PK call in a VAR , but there is are so many of those videos (kudos to PRO and MLS for that transparency) that I’d never have a chance of finding it.

Speaking of MLS referees, they are currently locked out after the membership overwhelmingly rejected the new collective bargaining agreement that their reps agreed to. Most refs in the next tier aren’t stepping in, as they are part of the sister union for the next tier of professional referees. So PRO/MLS is dropping yet further down the ladder to find refs willing to cross the picket line. Today is the first full day of the MLS regular season.
 
Interesting decision if you are a referee further down the pyramid, chance to fulfil a dream and referee an MLS match or solidarity with colleagues? 🙈
 
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