The Video Assistant Referee’s (VAR) introduction to the Premier League this season has been far from smooth. A minority welcome this new technology as a means of eradicating costly refereeing decisions. However, you also have the majority, purists who forever hark back to ‘the good ol’ days’, fiercely opposing change of any kind.
So, what’s the problem? Does football have a technology problem or does technology have a football problem?
It’s hard to explain to those that don’t get it, but football is a religion to many people. The passion. The heat of competition. The fierce rivalries. All that matters is the next match. The next signing. The next teamsheet.
Football is a hotbed of inertia, where the smallest change is often despised and openly challenged. It’s this passion that makes the sport so attractive for brands and investors but, if you’re going to fiddle with football you’d better make sure you get it right from the off.
A number of sports have successfully woven technology into their fabric. Cricket first introduced Hawkeye in 2001 with tennis following with its own version in 2002. This has evolved naturally with the demands of the respective sports. The collective ‘Ooooohhh’ from the crowd as the ball traces across the screen on Centre Court followed by the climatic reaction at the ‘In’ or ‘Out’ call is now part of the theatre of tennis.
Rugby Union has also embraced the use of a Television Match Official (TMO) to ratify key decisions on the field of play. The action replays from various angles are greeted with tears or cheers from all corners of the stadium depending on where your loyalties lie.
Yes, the likes of cricket, tennis and rugby all have natural breaks in play that allow for these reviews, but their fan bases are more forgiving and the implementation has evolved in a way that is sympathetic to the fan experience.
Why hasn’t football learnt from the early lessons of these other sports?
One pivotal factor is respect for the officials. With a few famous exceptions, respect for officials in cricket, tennis and rugby is never in question. It is expected. Demanded. Transgressions are generally punished swiftly. That has rarely been the case in football. The official is fair game. Players, managers, fans – all are guilty of vehemently laying blame firmly at the feet of the officials for any decision that goes the other way. I’ve sat on both sides of the divide as an erstwhile rugby player and a football fan and I’m just as guilty as the next person.
Transparency and consistency therefore become even more critical. Before the season started, referees’ chief Mike Riley said: “We don’t want VAR to come in and try to re-referee the game. We actually want it to protect the referees from making serious errors”.
The reality is that the definition of ‘serious errors’ has been inconsistent, often coming down to the width of an armpit or an unclipped toenail. In that regard it could be argued that VAR is exposing officials even more to the vitriol. In addition, unlike rugby and tennis, the decision is made beyond the view of the fan in the stadium, which according to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is ‘to protect the referee’.
It can’t be denied that decisions are more accurate. However, there is an unwillingness to accept the referee’s decision in football at the best of times, which is exacerbated within the stadium by the fact that replays aren’t available for fans to watch. This lack of transparency understandably feeds the sense frustration felt by fans and is something that needs to be addressed.
VAR is clearly a push to ensure a fair and accurate outcome, but while the implementation continues to undermine the role of the official on the field it won’t work. The news in recent weeks, to review the application of VAR to give attacking players more leeway, is testament to the fact that referees need more room to breathe.
Striking the right balance between the use of technology and protecting the fan experience is essential. When implemented in the right way, technology can bring so much.
The danger with poor implementation is that you serve to feed the existing inertia, compromise the quality of the product and undermine the person with the whistle in the middle. We can only hope football learns its lessons from the first season of VAR and makes the necessary changes quickly. Whether that will ever be enough for the fans remains to be seen.