VAR Discussion Thread | 2024/25

[give it to gordon]

Ref awarded us a penalty.
It’s not. Newcastle player got ball first.
without VAR that’s given - which is not right.
Once again, proof why it’s needed.

City's keeper being held at the corner. No foul. VAR got it wrong again

 

[TinFoilHat]

VAR works.

It's the cunts in stockley park manipulating it that's the problem.

Would the rags have come back from 3-0 down on Saturday?

PiGMOL should be run independently of the PL.

As an aside....

Over 150 refs in Turkey have been suspended for being involved in making bets.

It's been proven that some of our refs play fantasy football. Isn't that a way to manipulate results for personal gain?

 

[Blue Mist]

VAR works.

It's the cunts in stockley park manipulating it that's the problem.

Would the rags have come back from 3-0 down on Saturday?

PiGMOL should be run independently of the PL.

As an aside....

Over 150 refs in Turkey have been suspended for being involved in making bets.

It's been proven that some of our refs play fantasy football. Isn't that a way to manipulate results for personal gain?

Tinny, you should know better. Turkish refs are just wrong uns. I mean, they are nearly brown and most don't even speak English. Johnny bloody Foreigners if you ask me.
Our refs, well they're British* and white so of course they are honest, play with a straight bat don't you know, corruption! I'll have you run out of the Marylebone Club with comments like that.

*in the interests of that mamby pamby woke stuff we gave an Australian clear instructions and a whistle (his father was white, British, a true patriot, non of that criminal rif raf we sent over there)

 

[Gordyola]

Ref awarded us a penalty.
It’s not. Newcastle player got ball first.
without VAR that’s given - which is not right.
Once again, proof why it’s needed.

Personally think the ref got it right he hardly touched the ball and took out Bowen in the process

 

[wattle]

How many times do you remember this happening in the 7 years pre-VAR? You always say that there were ridiculously obvious offside goals given "all the time", what instances can you remember from the 7 years pre-VAR?

You talk about diving now being punished whereas before VAR, players would get away with diving "all the time". In your honest opinion, do you think there is more or less simulation and gamesmanship in the Premier League now compared to the 7 years before VAR.

You’re debating with a brick wall. I wouldn’t bother. I gave up ages ago

 

[BlueHammer85]

Personally think the ref got it right he hardly touched the ball and took out Bowen in the process

Would have been very harsh, he got the ball first. Never a pen.

 

[Andy TheCatalyst Morrison]

Would have been very harsh, he got the ball first. Never a pen.

Although I agree with you that this was not a pen, you’d have thought that after god knows how many years it has been since they changed the rules, football fans would know that “getting the ball first” absolutely does not preclude a tackle from being deemed a foul

 

[danielwood5]

Would have been very harsh, he got the ball first. Never a pen.

Getting the ball first isn’t mentioned anywhere in The Laws of the Game in regards to this situation.
if a defender impedes a players progress (i.e. takes them out) they have to have knocked the ball out of control of an attacking player, therefore the touch on the ball stopped them from keeping control and not the act of impeding them. Having their studs brush against the ball is irrelevant, the question shoild always be dod the defender knock the ball out of the attackers control, if not then it'sa foul and a penalty.
Once again a referee made a perfectly good, correct decision then VAR got involved and a team was disadvantaged due to an incorrect and unnecessary VAR call.
Does a brush of contact against the ball now constitute a "clear and obvious error" or is the higher threshold for VAR intervention in the bin now too?
Hopefully that possible missed goal difference doesn't affect anyone's league standing come the end of the season due to VAR ignoring or overriding the guidelines they're supposed to follow and compounding their error by making a factually wrong decision.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Getting the ball first isn’t mentioned anywhere in The Laws of the Game in regards to this situation.
if a defender impedes a players progress (i.e. takes them out) they have to have knocked the ball out of control of an attacking player, therefore the touch on the ball stopped them from keeping control and not the act of impeding them. Having their studs brush against the ball is irrelevant, the question shoild always be dod the defender knock the ball out of the attackers control, if not then it'sa foul and a penalty.
Once again a referee made a perfectly good, correct decision then VAR got involved and a team was disadvantaged due to an incorrect and unnecessary VAR call.
Does a brush of contact against the ball now constitute a "clear and obvious error" or is the higher threshold for VAR intervention in the bin now too?
Hopefully that possible missed goal difference doesn't affect anyone's league standing come the end of the season due to VAR ignoring or overriding the guidelines they're supposed to follow and compounding their error by making a factually wrong decision.

You will be in a tiny minority that thinks that should have been a pen- it was a great tackle.

 

[Gordyola]

Would have been very harsh, he got the ball first. Never a pen.

Can’t see harsh in the law He might have touched the ball but we see numerous occasions when a foul is given when the tackle takes the man out despite the ball being touched Pen another example of VAR using slow motion to get it wrong

 

[its grim up north]

Like Eddy sliding into Saka, at least a second after the ball was cleared cleanly. Good old Alty.

 

[Cassandra]

Although I agree with you that this was not a pen, you’d have thought that after god knows how many years it has been since they changed the rules, football fans would know that “getting the ball first” absolutely does not preclude a tackle from being deemed a foul

And some referees?

 

[MCFC1993]

Not doubting that VAR is able to clear up errors that would otherwise go unnoticed.

It has made the game worse though, as a spectacle it's not as enjoyable as it was pre-VAR. More rules introduced tailored to the use of VAR, less enjoyment and emotion in the game.

Still getting obvious decisions wrong too.

 

[MCFC1993]

Ref awarded us a penalty.
It’s not. Newcastle player got ball first.
without VAR that’s given - which is not right.
Once again, proof why it’s needed.

Why did it take over 4minutes though? Pausing the game for 4minutes is killing the enjoyment in these games.

You could see after 1 replay he got the ball first, shouldnt be taking more than 30seconds, the officials really need putting on a clock.

Add the current set piece culture and we've currently got a sport that's breaking for more than 30 seconds nearly every 5minutes.

 

[1961_vintage]

The Premier League is a commercial operation that exists for one reason and one reason only - to make money for its stakeholders.

The Premier League has specific member clubs that contribute significantly more than others in terms of revenues, profit and global media coverage etc.

VAR is just a tool used by the Premier League to ensure that the interests of those specific member clubs and therefore the interests of the Premier League are best protected.

Recognising this, you quickly come to realise that everything else is just background noise.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Why did it take over 4minutes though? Pausing the game for 4minutes is killing the enjoyment in these games.

You could see after 1 replay he got the ball first, shouldnt be taking more than 30seconds, the officials really need putting on a clock.

Add the current set piece culture and we've currently got a sport that's breaking for more than 30 seconds nearly every 5minutes.

It is frustrating when it’s that long , but they did add on the time and it was in the extra time we scored - The average VAR check now takes 40 seconds, whereas last season it was one minute and six seconds so on average it is getting quicker - Players are kicking the ball away less as that’s an automatic yellow and Keepers are being punished more for time wasting ie: give away corners , so there is improvements to get the playing time as best as poss.

 

[Andy TheCatalyst Morrison]

It is frustrating when it’s that long , but they did add on the time and it was in the extra time we scored - The average VAR check now takes 40 seconds, whereas last season it was one minute and six seconds so on average it is getting quicker - Players are kicking the ball away less as that’s an automatic yellow and Keepers are being punished more for time wasting ie: give away corners , so there is improvements to get the playing time as best as poss.

Yellow card for kicking the ball away, and a corner for holding onto the ball for too long have got absolutely nothing to do with VAR!

 

[BlueHammer85]

Yellow card for kicking the ball away, and a corner for holding onto the ball for too long have got absolutely nothing to do with VAR!

No but it was the point being made that the game is stopping to much - so made the point that punishing players for kicking ball away and time wasting means it’s all quicker, also the subs rule change was a good idea. Also mentioned average VAR check now takes 40 seconds, whereas last season it was one minute and six seconds. Hopefully that can be improved season on season.

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

First Down!

 

[TheBeautifulGame]

The Premier League is a commercial operation that exists for one reason and one reason only - to make money for its stakeholders.

If that were the case there wouldn't be VAR. VAR doesn't make them more money, it loses them money. VAR is a cost that they and the clubs have to pay, this reduces everyone's ability to make money.

VAR is just a tool used by the Premier League to ensure that the interests of those specific member clubs and therefore the interests of the Premier League are best protected.

So you're claiming that VAR is a byproduct of the interest of a specific few member clubs who contribute the most rather than the whole of the PL? Which specific clubs would you be referring to?

I'm really having a hard time accepting this premise. VAR is an incredible cost to all parties, it reduces everyone's ability to make money, so that goes out the window. VAR forces more investment to pay for the system, which goes against their revenue.

To claim that VAR magically makes money and serves the interests of anyone here, because VARs get paid or whatever the case may be is in the clouds. It costs money out of their own pockets to implement and maintain. I agree that their business strategy is supposed to be about making money for its stakeholders. Now you might say VAR is a stakeholder or people invest in VAR and that may be true but in the end it's a cost, VAR does not cause them to make money, it causes them and everyone involved to make less money. That's why ticket prices keep going up and such. Everyone involved, the league, the clubs, everyone all have to pay for VAR. There's no money making in that. That's money spending. So VAR is counter to their mission statement and it's largely loathed by fans. It can only be described as a racket at this point. Football is still popular and makes money as a whole because fans choose to endure VAR, to watch football despite VAR, having their joy of football exceed their dislike of VAR. But a line is crossed when you would suggest that VAR is some kind of money maker for anyone involved with football, or that what they're doing is coming from the interests of a select few PL clubs, well I want to hear more about what you are suggesting here in light of all this.