VAR in Football: Has Common-Sense Decisions Been Replaced by Technology?
Key Highlights :
The introduction of VAR in football has been a controversial topic since its introduction in Scotland in October 2022. While the technology is designed to get decisions right, it has caused more debates over decisions than before. VAR is used in the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Gas Scottish Cup, and in the semi-finals and final of the Viaplay Cup. More penalties are being awarded, and goals are being celebrated, but common sense has been thrown out the window with players being offside by the distance of a fingernail. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers even went as far as to say that football is like a video game now.
VAR is meant to increase the chances of correct calls, but there is confusion as to why it is only used in certain situations. VAR can only be used when the referee on the pitch has made a clear error relating to a straight red card, a penalty area incident, or goals. Duncan Ferguson’s recent win over Chelsea in the Championship was a VAR-free game, and it was a pure live drama that was enjoyed by fans without any outside parties throwing doubt into the mix.
The use of VAR has meant that the fun has been stripped from the beautiful game, and it is difficult to celebrate goals in true fashion. While it is important to get decisions right, there is still a reliance on the judgement of two officials, and it is clear that technology cannot replace common-sense decisions. Ultimately, football is meant to be entertaining, and VAR is often robbing us of that chance.
