The Ref Stop

VAR Red Card

The Ref Stop
Why wait?
If the VAR can see it's a straight red after a reply after 5 seconds, why not just use the mic and tell the ref? Just like an AR would.
The red could have been given while the player was still receiving treatment and the VAR would have been perceived to be more effective and a more natural part of the game.
That the ref has to come and look makes it seem like the VAR can't be trusted.
 
You can't understand why the "field referee" has to check the images pitchside and make the decision. Apart from being a waste of time, you'd think that a video referee watching and deciding in a separate space is clearly the better option (no pressure from players/fans, no problems with sun/rain on screen, can more easily go through/replay the images, will be more experienced in interpreting images, doesn't have the physical burden of running so can think clearer/focus better).

Think they will realize this in a few years and that the ultimate outcome will be that the video referee will become the head referee and that the "field referee" will be his (main) assistant.
 
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Here's what the IFAB's VAR protocol document says about this (in part):
...the referee has the option to:
• make a decision based only on the information received from the VAR or
• review the footage directly before making a final decision (on-field review – OFR)
OFRs will be mainly for ‘subjective’ decisions or to assist match control or to ‘sell’ a decision. An OFR should not be needed for factual decisions such as the position of an offence or player (e.g. offside), point of contact on the body for handball or a foul etc.
[...]
For red card offences (except DOGSO), only the incident is reviewed. For goals, penalty incidents and DOGSO offences, the referee can review the play as far back as the start of the attacking move which led to the incident ...
[...]
Whilst the review process should be completed as efficiently/quickly as possible, accuracy is more important than speed.
Click to expand...
 
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If the actual referee cannot see that (far too central and seems to have abandoned the "diagonal") then I would question his merits of being there in the first place
I would hate to think the very top grades are going to let their concentration and basics slip, safe in the knowledge that the eye in the sky is going to bail them out when needed.
if that's how its going to be, then just scrap the field referee end of and refer anything to the screen, kind of like the old days where the referee stood at the side of the park and only got involved when the 2 teams could not agree on something
 
One observation I have is with regard to where the VAR is positioned. We tend never to see VARs in other sports so I assumed this would be similar in football. Perhaps this is just venue and tournament specific but the pitch side location has the risk of everyone coming across to give an opinion. Any debate between the officials also risks the accusation that the can't decide. Thoughts?
 
OIREF! said:
One observation I have is with regard to where the VAR is positioned. We tend never to see VARs in other sports so I assumed this would be similar in football. Perhaps this is just venue and tournament specific but the pitch side location has the risk of everyone coming across to give an opinion. Any debate between the officials also risks the accusation that the can't decide. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Apparently there will be a "video area"; players who enter get booked and other people who enter get sent off. Not sure how effective this will be though...

(edit - text on IFAB website: "Players and team officials must not attempt to influence or interfere with the review process. A player who shows the TV sign will be cautioned (YC); anyone entering the referee review area (RRA) will be cautioned (YC) (player/substitute) or dismissed (team official)")
 
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The Referee Review Area is the area of the field where the referee (as in, the centre referee, not the VAR) goes to check the video themself.

In most cases, the VAR is not anywhere near the field proper. There was photographs of one at the French playoff game recently, and the VAR appeared to be in a TV production truck.
 
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