[Football] Should Ex Players/Managers be running VAR?

[Perkino]

Rugby do it very well, TMO is only consulted at the ref's discretion. Often he is simply checking a decision that he has already made.

The best change would be to have referees with a microphone and give a post match interview. Making the right decision is important and taking responsibility when they have made a mistake should be expected. Much more likely to consult the VAR for any questionable decision rather than the current set up of waiting to see if the VAR intervenes.

 

[peterward]

They have played the game and understand football better than some trained up chimps that are self indulgent messing up football.

I say Yes.

Your question is too black and white, and either/or.

The question should be "Should ex players/managers be involved in VAR"... and for that, I think the answer is Yes.

A licenced professional referee, under the sanctioning bodies of PL/ Uefa/Fifa are the only ones able to make the actual onfield decisions and run it, but I think it would be hugely beneficial to bring onboard ex pro's to assist in how data is interpreted, and how to put in place a structure that adheres to the rules, WITHOUT BLATANT ERRORS!, and balances that to the flow of game on matchdays..... We should also be humble enough to say we're struggling with it all, compared to other leagues and bring in as much talent as possible to rectify it.

 

[A1X]

Running it - no - but involved at Stockwell Park? Yes, maybe replacing the assistant VAR.

This. Similar to the “Driver stewards” at the F1. Not making the decisions outright but providing a different perspective.

 

[Muzzman]

Gazza at the controls of VAR would be well funny…

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe the VAR decision-making would actually benefit from being off-shored to anonymous super-smart graduates with zero interest in the sport. Get them to swot up on the rules of the game, pass a detailed exam, then get UK officials to do a period of Knowledge Transfer handover. Job done!

 

[Farehamseagull]

Wouldn’t make any difference. They’ll still disagree and have different opinions on the same incidents.

We can go over this again and again and never solve it. It’s never going to work, just let the referee and linesmen get on with it and accept they’ll miss things and make mistakes at times. It’s worse now than it was before.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Yes please - surely couldn’t do much worse than the current shower

 

[Bodian]

Time to set up a degree course in operating VAR at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and get some highly intelligent nerdy geeks, with no real interest in football running it. Pay them a fortune for doing it too. Sorted

Yes - I've been thinking this. The point of VAR is to be dispassionate and apply the laws - it's not meant to be subjective. So, lets get folk who are rigorous and meticulous - there's no need for them to be ex-players, or indeed, have any interest in football. Take the MacAllister incident yesterday - the only question was 'did it hit his arm yes/no?'. Don't need any football knowledge for that.

 

[GT49er]

Wouldn’t make any difference. They’ll still disagree and have different opinions on the same incidents.

We can go over this again and again and never solve it. It’s never going to work, just let the referee and linesmen get on with it and accept they’ll miss things and make mistakes at times. It’s worse now than it was before.

That would only work of SKY, BT, BBC and the rest agreed to stop showing each marginal decision in great detail, from different angles and in slow motion, and the pundits stopped dissecting every decision in minute detail. They won't, of ourse - even though it was their continual dissection of every decision and their detailed analysis of every possible refereeing error that lead to us - and more importantly, the powers that be - deciding there was a problem which needed a solution (which ultimately hasn't solved anything and in many cases have made it worse).

 

[Triggaaar]

No, just make sure the people are accountable.

 

[Seagull58]

Premier League VAR is worse under Howard Webb despite clear and obvious solution...

The Premier League needs to suspend VAR or get rid completely. Howard Webb has done nothing to fix the flawed and incredibly unfair system. Just ask Brighton...

www.football365.com

 

[5Ways Gull]

Along with most of us on here, the events of Saturday have been in my thoughts since the end of the match. One thing I can't help wondering is would the situation improve if the VAR officials were present in the stadium rather than hidden away in a remote location miles away. That's what happens in rugby and cricket. I can't articulate why but it just feels like they would be more connected to actual events if they were at the location of the match?

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Along with most of us on here, the events of Saturday have been in my thoughts since the end of the match. One thing I can't help wondering is would the situation improve if the VAR officials were present in the stadium rather than hidden away in a remote location miles away. That's what happens in rugby and cricket. I can't articulate why but it just feels like they would be more connected to actual events if they were at the location of the match?

But they don't need to be "connected". The danger of being "connected" (as the referee is) is that 50,000 home fans screaming for a penalty may, quite reasonably, affect your decision. If the VAR officials are "unconnected" then they can make a dispassionate, technical decision in the cold light of day, away from the baying crowds.

 

[5Ways Gull]

But they don't need to be "connected". The danger of being "connected" (as the referee is) is that 50,000 home fans screaming for a penalty may, quite reasonably, affect your decision. If the VAR officials are "unconnected" then they can make a dispassionate, technical decision in the cold light of day, away from the baying crowds.

Yeah you're probably right. I really can't put my finger on why it doesn't feel right to me. Maybe it's to do with the fact that I don't even know where Stockley Park is, maybe I should just look it up? I may just be having a senior moment.

 

[nwgull]

My grandson would be the first to apply. He’s not enjoying his computer course at Newcastle Uni.

Edit to add, he enjoys football too much.

Somebody mentioned rugby referees on another thread. Give them a course on all the rules at the FA.

The officiating in Rugby is all over the place at the moment. The use of TMF is ruining the game at with over keen refs looking for any reason to either disallow a try or dish out a red card.

 

[Spiros]

Can you imagine what VAR would be like if you had someone with the intellectual qualities of a Paul Merson or an Anton Ferdinand working on it? It would make the current lot look almost perfect.

 

[zefarelly]

In motorsport the observers and advisors come from aBroad selection of backgrounds.
Even in F1 they have ex drivers, although F1 is as bad as PGMOL and not in anyway typical of motorsport in general

 

[Hotchilidog]

I think the VAR officials should be separate from the refs that officiate the games. At the moment we have the same clique of individuals marking their own homework. At the moment the primary concern of VAR seems to be not embarrassing the official on the field rather than establishing the correctness of the decision.

It's a mess at the moment, confusion abounds in pretty much every direction and yet we are still left with raging controversy on a regular basis. For one side to have FIVE pivotal decisions go against them is simply insane. VAR got the Welbeck/Mac goal wrong (overturning a correct on-field decision), Attwell missed the Lenglet handball, the Lino got the Mitoma goal wrong and Attwell from a decent position got the Mitoma and Dunk penalty decisions wrong. A lot of blame to spread around and each branch of the officiating crew shared the responsibility.

 

[Sepulveda]

Genuinely surprised that it's half and half in the poll right now, it must be a wind up or knee-jerk reaction to the game because no sane person would think that's a good idea

"Let's get farmers to act as judges in land disputes"

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Gary Neville, Jason Cundy, Trevor Sinclair, Danny Mills, Darren Ambrose.

They’re never biased, they don’t hate other clubs.

I'm sorry if I'm whooshed

But Jason Cundy?

The rest are fair, but it raises another bigger issue

I think Ambrose has played for Ipswich/Charlton/Newcastle/Palace and supports Spurs

So he's out of most PL games on previous clubs/team he supports.

Journey men tend to be less bias, but you can't have them on old clubs/rivals.