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VAR Behind The Scenes

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It's nice to get video that actually shows what the VAR says and does during a match. It's a shame FIFA didn't do something like this before the World Cup. It's incredible the amount of misinformation that continues to get said around various forms of media.
 
I liked his 'no goal' signal.
Given we've seen slo-mo replays stuff referees up with the on-field review in Australia, I wonder how much training those referees are going through in how much slo-mo distorts things?

Also, it looks like the VAR is providing the angles for the referee to look at. This seems like a potential problem as the VAR has seen the full context of the incident, but puts a very selected view to the referee. If this is only slow motion, can this skew the referee's decision when the VAR has the more holistic view?

The other problem I've raised before is that it often seems that the ARs and 4th official aren't doing their job of scanning the field for off-the-ball incidents.

Most things that I've gone to VAR, I thought the on-field team should have caught.

And not to mention, if something has gone to VAR that the referee has a clear view of and got wrong - or an incorrect offside that should have been right - then this is a match-changing error by the referees. Pre-VAR this would mean a failed assessment based on the Australian KPI system (unless they've changed it since I stopped). Are these still being considered errors?
It would seem not, in Australia, given those referees are still turning up week after week.
 
CapnBloodbeard said:
I liked his 'no goal' signal.
Given we've seen slo-mo replays stuff referees up with the on-field review in Australia, I wonder how much training those referees are going through in how much slo-mo distorts things?

Also, it looks like the VAR is providing the angles for the referee to look at. This seems like a potential problem as the VAR has seen the full context of the incident, but puts a very selected view to the referee. If this is only slow motion, can this skew the referee's decision when the VAR has the more holistic view?
Click to expand...

I don't know about Australia, but in MLS there seems to be a pretty set standard on what you show the referee.

For example, let's say the VAR recommends a review for serious foul play. The VAR will take what they feel is the conclusive camera angle and show it to the referee. They will show it in slow motion to let the referee see the point of contact (ankle/shin/knee/etc) and then will show the referee the full speed a couple of times. The ref can ask for another angle or to see it again but it usually isn't needed. Most on field reviews in MLS this season have only had the referee at the monitor 5 to 10 seconds.
 
I just remember one of the worst decisions we've had in a horrendously 'controversial' weekend, there was a slide tackle which was maybe yellow at worst, and the slo-mo is nice to see if there is contact but you need to see it in conjunction with full speed, otherwise you're not getting the whole story. You know how it is, sometimes slo-mo completely changes the look. In this one, a TV angle across the pitch captured what the on-field referee saw - and it was all slo-mo replays, and the ref gave the red card.

Double stuff-up - the VAR shouldn't have intervened, and the referee interpreted the information incorrectly. But it raised a big question over what information is provided to the referee, and what training the referees are having over the impact of different angles and slo-mo.

Which worries me a little that the referee has no control over the angles and speeds presented but is expected to make a decision. I'm surprised that the referee doesn't have a very simple control set allowing for back/forwards and speed changes.
 
It's a matter of trust. You trust your AR at the professional level. Refs need to trust that the VAR who is equally qualified is able to clearly identify when something is a red card and then show the referee the definitive angle. The VAR not doing that is a failure of that referee and who trained them and not a failure of the system.
 
It's not working though, is it? Why does the VAR not show the ref the conclusive angle that shows Pavon was tripped in the box?
 
If your expectation is that VAR catch everything and that there be absolutely no controversy in what it chooses to review or not review, then you are going to be in for a long frustrating tournament.
 
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