Technology behind VAR: Football latest tech
First, what is VAR? VAR, otherwise known as Video Assistant Referees, is a video assistance system for referees that was introduced to football in 2016 to help referees make fairer and more accurate decisions during matches. This technology allows referees to review video footage to help determine whether a decision was made appropriately.
Its objective is to assist referees when they do not see the faults from their point of view. This system is not automated but managed by other referees who are in front of screens and scrutinize the most minor details from all possible camera angles. It was tested experimentally on March 6, 2016, and is now active in all national and international competitions.
How does VAR work?
VAR is used in the following situations: goals, penalties, red cards, and player identity errors. When a decision is challenged, the head referee may ask a video assistant to verify it using video footage. Referees can also request a VAR check if they have missed a key decision during an action.
The video assistant will then review footage from different cameras and provide the head referee with additional information to help them decide against all football predictions. The head referee can then accept or reject the initial decision using the information provided by the video assistant.
Advances in VAR in the World of Football
Hand of God, Maradona
VAR has made it possible to develop football; it makes it possible to avoid simulation and be able to sanction it, to see if the course of the game follows the rules of football, and to prevent actions like Maradona’s “Hand of God” in the 1986 world cup because the referee did not have the right point of view; see if the foul is inside or outside the penalty area; VAR makes it possible to see offsides with precision and therefore to refuse a goal that would have passed without it. Also, a player who has made a sneaky mistake, as seen by no one, can now be sanctioned by FIFA after the match, which is a plus for player safety.
The advantages of VAR
VAR offers many benefits for football matches. First, it allows you to make more accurate and precise decisions, avoiding human errors. This can help eliminate controversies and protests from players and fans towards referees, which can sometimes negatively affect the match’s progress.
In addition, VAR helps referees identify fouls committed and take appropriate disciplinary action. This can help maintain integrity and fair play in football.
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The disadvantages of VAR
However, VAR has also attracted criticism and controversy. Some football fans believe that using VAR has led to excessive play interruptions and negatively impacted the pace and spectacle of matches. Additionally, some observers have pointed out that VAR is not always used consistently or accurately, which can sometimes confuse.
To conclude, VAR is a technology that the public has accepted. Football fans remain 85% in favour of the use of VAR. However, the rules of current football and VAR are not entirely consistent. There is too much downtime when the referee uses VAR. Perhaps stopping the clock when used would be a first in the football world.
FIFA announced that it wanted to change rules, such as reducing the playing time of each half to 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes, but that the referee stop the clock at each time-out as can be done.
Ultimately, VAR is a technology that was introduced to help referees make more fair and accurate decisions during football matches. Although it has attracted criticism and controversy, most football fans agree that using VAR is a step forward for the sport regarding integrity and fair play.
