One thing I don't get is what's the fucking point of having pitch side monitors if the stupid fucker in the middle is being told to not use them?
I’m not fussed about the pitch-side monitor issue.
Why should the on-pitch ref have to watch the same replays available to the VAR? That’s the bloody idea of a video ref in the first place! The VAR is an appointed qualified ref for each specific fixture they’re at, so they should take the responsibility and be using the replays from different angles that they have without the pressure of the crowd or the two teams in the stadium. I think this part of VAR is being used correctly by the Prem refs. We don’t need the pitch-side monitors.
I’ve seen it in action in the Nations League and other European leagues and it takes
far too long and is fucking boring and must be infuriating for fans in the stadium who have no idea what’s going on anyway.
Football games are slow enough as it is with all the time wasting and needless breaks in play when players go down and the opposition ridiculously feel the need to kick the ball out for them.
Imagine how many people would still leave the Etihad on 84minutes every week with this shit even though there are going to be 11 minutes of added time at the end.
The ball is only in play for about an average of 64% of the game in football. In rugby league it’s in play for 72% of the game, in a sport you’d imagine would have more stoppages and less open play.
Rugby union is down at 33% and American football is at a pitiful 11%, we need to be aiming for overtaking rugby league not dragging the sport down to boring sport levels!
There are no pitch-side monitors in either code of rugby and the video ref works very well in both sports. “The Bunker” in the NRL is excellent (it’s the VAR room, with cameras on the video ref), video refs should just clear up anything the on-pitch ref isn’t sure of as he’s the one with the replays and different angles to help the on-pitch ref out who’s seen something once, at one speed, from one angle.
VAR should be foolproof. But it’s being used foolishly at the moment.
We should also all be able to hear every discussion between the on-pitch officials and the VAR. They’re mic’d up; so use the mics for transparency of what’s being said and done.