Was it missed?Hi
This is the debate that I had on another topic Barca v Chelsea. It was argued that it could only be used on clear errors. The VaR handbook says that Video technology will only be used to correct clear errors and for missed serious incidents in defined match-changing decisions:goal, penalty / no penalty, direct red card and mistaken identity(e.g.the referee cautions/sends off the wrong player).
So the referee was entitled to use VAR for a missed serious incident as he did and as the player trod on the opponents it was a careless foul and a penalty kick.
This is where I get confused and frustrated. People have complained for years about mistakes by referees so VAR has been brought in. Whilst there is an argument to question whether not giving a penalty here was an obvious error, there cannot be any argument in my mind that it was a foul, even Tarkowski is accepting of that. Would it have been given in a game without VAR? No. Is it in the soft category? Yes.
But this will happen with VAR. All they can look at is did Tarkowski trip the forward and the only possible answer is yes he did. He didn't mean to trip him, but that is irrelevant, he tripped him no matter how accidental it was. Without VAR referees may well take the "safe option" for minor fouls in the box, that goes away with VAR as it isn't soft or hard, and rather it is black or white. Did he trip him or didn't he is all they can look at.
The referee didn't see it real time as he was looking through a lot of legs.
Maybe we should teach our guys (Alli is a good teacher) to throw themselves at defenders and get a penalty each and every time as contact was made and therefore must be a foul.
A clear foul that he gave a corner for????He didn't throw himself at anyone or any body. Tarkowski stood on his foot, it was a clear foul.