{"id":34146,"date":"2023-02-15T15:19:42","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T15:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.byfarthegreatestteam.com\/?p=34146"},"modified":"2023-02-15T15:28:34","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T15:28:34","slug":"premier-league-var-how-can-howard-webb-fix-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.byfarthegreatestteam.com\/posts\/premier-league-var-how-can-howard-webb-fix-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Premier League VAR: how can Howard Webb fix the problems?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Premier League VAR was again the major talking point after a weekend featuring a number of high-profile errors by match officials using video technology<\/a>. The VAR did not draw the lines when checking for offside on Brentford’s equaliser at the Emirates. Meanwhile, a similar error disallowed a Brighton goal against Crystal Palace.<\/p>\n

What is VAR?<\/h2>\n

VAR is an acronym for V<\/b>ideo A<\/b>ssistant R<\/b>eferee. This extra official uses video replay to check for and correct errors by the other officials. The aim is to use technology to assist referees and ensure greater accuracy of decisions.<\/p>\n

Other sports and leagues including English rugby have used video review for many years. However, it was a controversial introduction to English football in 2019. There is a lot of vocal opposition to VAR from traditionalist fans and pundits. Errors in its use such as those this weekend do not exactly help the case.<\/p>\n

Criticisms<\/h2>\n

Critics of VAR point out a number of issues. One of the most significant, as we anticipated here at BFTGT back in 2018<\/a>, is the significant delay to games, which poses difficulty both for players and for fans. When the decisions are still not correct even after a big delay, this becomes an even bigger issue.<\/p>\n

Football is a quick-flowing sport. Fans enjoy this flow and the relative lack of stoppages when compared to other sports. Introducing VAR challenges this strength of the game.<\/p>\n

In most English grounds, there is no system used to tell fans in the stadium about an ongoing VAR check. Fans sit perplexed and frustrated, waiting to be told what is even being reviewed, let alone the final decision.<\/p>\n

Wider Problems<\/h2>\n

Although VAR is new, the discussion about refereeing in English football is not. Howard Webb, the head of Premier League match officials, described the issues this weekend as “human errors”. Therefore VAR hasn’t really moved the needle in terms of the conversation about referees in English football. The technology is different but the discussion is the same as it has been for 20, 30, even 50 years.<\/p>\n

Refereeing is a popular topic for football coverage in all types of media. It makes an easy, contentious subject to generate anger and tap into fans’ tribalism. Radio phone-ins have always relied on this to generate engagement. Other media is increasingly doing the same via social media channels.<\/p>\n

Studies have found that people are more likely to engage on news stories that generate negative emotion<\/a> than positive. There is some excellent football punditry around English football from tactical and technical perspectives. However, a lot of pundits prefer to engage with the frustration and anger of the fan experience. Focusing on refereeing decisions is one way to achieve this.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\ude33 \u201cThis is the biggest, best and richest league in the world and you are making basic errors?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc40 \u201cVAR is making the Premier League a LAUGHING STOCK!\u201d<\/p>\n

@alex_crook doesn\u2019t hold back when discussing VAR\u2019s decisions in the #PL!<\/p>\n

\u2014 talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 12, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n