Since its emergence, technology is predicted to affect all aspects of life, including sports. One of the modern technologies used in sports is VAR, especially in football.
Broadly speaking, VAR or Video Assistant Referee has the meaning of assisting technology for referees to get a more detailed or ideal view of a moment in a football match. Thus, this technology will minimize the mistakes of the referees in making decisions.
However, not all parties agree with the use of this technology in a soccer match. This is because VAR can annul the referee’s decision which will certainly harm one of the competing teams.
History of VARs
Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal against the Italian national team at the 2010 World Cup was one of the factors that forced the use of technology in football to be implemented immediately. The ball is deemed not to have crossed the goal line. In fact, in replays, it was clear that the ball had crossed the goal line even though it then bounced and returned out of the goal.
In 2012 VAR was introduced and began testing its use in the Netherlands in the 2012/13 season. The test was successful enough that in 2016 a more extensive trial was proposed.
The A-League (Australia) is the first competition to implement the use of the Video Assistant Referee. Trials then continued at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. IFAB or the world football regulatory body has finally included VAR in the rules of the game of football.
There is still debate regarding the use of this technology, in particular, there are still differences regarding what types of incidents can be reviewed by the referee. FIFA then stated that they would make standard rules regarding this so that the rules regarding VAR would be uniform in all matches.
VAR function
The application of technology is certainly applied with the aim of providing benefits. Well, there are a number of functions or uses for using VAR in football, here’s the explanation:
Reducing Referee Errors
The referee is an ordinary human being, who gets training to be a judge on the field. This status makes them also not free from mistakes when on duty in a match.
This negligence can occur when making decisions. Unfortunately, sometimes these decision-making mistakes come at crucial moments. VAR is presented as a solution to reduce or minimize referee errors.
One of the most frequently corrected by this technology is offside/onside decision-making. It is not uncommon for a goal to be disallowed because in replays it turns out that a player was in an offside position in the process of the goal.
Fairer Match
Referee decisions, especially at crucial moments, will be more transparent with the presence of this technology. Thus, the referee will always have valid evidence in making important decisions and can no longer side with one particular team.
Increased Player Vigilance
Prior to the implementation of VAR, there were frequent incidents of a player taking a dishonorable act towards an opponent. As long as it is not under the supervision of the referee, then he will escape punishment.
However, once this technology is implemented, players will become more vigilant. All player movements on the field are clearly monitored from the screen behind the VAR room.
Types of Interventionable Events
Not all incidents on the pitch can be intervened by VAR. Here are some of the main incidents that are the focus of this technology, including:
- reviewing the decision to award a penalty;
- confirm or annul goals;
- giving red cards;
- The referee’s mistake when giving a penalty to a player.
