Increasingly, the implantation of VAR feels like something of a watershed moment for football as a sport. For years, the lack of technological aid afforded to referees has been bemoaned, but now that it is finally here, being tested across the game, its benefits no longer seem so clear. Its future as a key component of the sport is in doubt.
Just this week UEFA announced that VAR will not be used in the Champions League from next season, as was the original plan, with the governing body expressing concerns over the confusion the use of such technology brings. Indeed, testing of VAR over the past year hasn’t gone so smoothly.
But rather than ditch the idea entirely, this testing period should be used to do exactly that - test. VAR could still work in football, but changes must be made. Here is a five-step plan to fine-tune VAR and ensure that it has a place in the game for decades to come.
1) Remodel VAR around a challenge system - A large part of the frustration over VAR concerns the freedom referees are given in their choice of whether or not to use the review system for certain decisions. It is entirely up to them what they use VAR for or not. By giving each team captain or manager a set number of VAR challenges, though, borrowing an idea from tennis, this dynamic would change. This would give the teams the power to decide their own VAR fate.
2) Have the VAR reviews conducted on-site - Questions have been raised over the qualifications of the VAR team that watches games from an office near Heathrow. What’s more, having the VAR review hub off-site, in some instances hundreds of miles from where the match itself is being played, creates issues in communication. There is little trust between those at the game and those watching on a screen in Heathrow. And so the VAR review centre should always be on site, with the decisions taken by members of the matchday officiating team.
3) Use a klaxon to indicate to the crowd that VAR is in use - One of the biggest issues raised over the testing of VAR has been regarding the confusion it causes for fans inside the stadium. To address this, a set klaxon noise should be sounded to indicate to the crowd that VAR is in use. The possibility of showing a symbol or icon on a screen to communicate the system’s use has been raised, but not all grounds have screens. They all have public address systems, though. This would be a quick and effective fix for a big problem.
4) Broadcast conversations between referees and VAR officials - Transparency, or the lack thereof, has been a concern during the testing of VAR, with fans and pundits alike tearing their hair out over the justification of some decisions. Like in rugby, conversations between referees and VAR officials should be broadcast to help quash conspiracy theories and help mitigate some of the confusion around some calls.
5) There should be a 30-second decision limit - This concerns the nature of football as a sport. Unlike other sports which use video review systems, football is not a game with many natural breaks. VAR, therefore, isn’t a natural fit. In recent tests, use of the technology has resulted in breaks as long as two minutes as decisions are made. There should be a 30-second decision limit. If at the end of those 30 seconds no decision has been taken, then the original call stands.
