This can be a controversial and a debatable topic, Video assisting Referee (VAR) was introduced to assist the on-field referees and is been viewed as a broad success by many in the footballing community, while few argue of the interruption it causes.
VAR has been an addition to elite football, where stakes are high as well as the expectations. It is so easy for the referees to miss or misinterpret an action on the field- to err is human! However VAR gives them an opportunity to call out the minutely detailed actions with the less possible chance of being wrong, thereby reducing or completely eradicating the amount of controversial referee decisions, in an ideal world of course. There are setbacks in the form of constant break in play, longer game duration and such. But the one that should be asked more often is – Will the controversial decisions decrease with VAR? Will football be fairer now?
VAR offers on-field referees a chance to review their decisions with a support from the fourth official to ensure that the correct call has been reached. Introduction of VAR has also seen player maintain a little more discipline on the field, it stops players from getting into acts of violence or aggression. The long wait for a decision to be reviewed adds more drama and tension on the field leading to more suspense and excitement among the fans.
But the long wait can be agonizing and boring equally as it interrupts the natural ebb and flow of a football match, this interruption can disrupt the momentum and rhythm and leading to loss of focus and frustration among players and the fans.
It has been true for the most part, but error still persists in the others. VAR is still just a tool in the referees’ inventory but he/she still has the ultimate say. So it’s up to them to use VAR properly.
Despite its intentions, VAR may not make the game fairer at times, but it will never make the game unfair. It is cold facts, leaving the referee to deal it out, that aspect has never changed.
VAR has certainly made the game fairer, but in order to convince the purist’s of the game, VAR has a long way to go and we are still in early days to answer the question “Is it worth it?”
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