The problem with VAR

The problem with VAR
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Let’s talk about VAR…
The Video Assistant Referee fiasco is spiraling out of control. The issue has become less about coming to the right decision, but more about the difference between what we see and how it is interpreted.
As Joe Devine writes technology in refereeing football can be beneficial, but is this application of VAR?
Illustrated by Craig Silcock.
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Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
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#VAR #Referees #EPL

[@laoganmafootballclub6632]

"You're either Kieran Gibbs or you're not and that's fine."

[@KingJoshuaTheGreat]

“I’m Kieran Gibbs!” “You’re not Kieran Gibbs, I’m Kieran Gibbs!”

[@stevenross6164]

There are two types of people on this earth. Thoes that are Kieran Gibbs and thoes that are not, and that's fine.

[@Colby_0-3_IRL_and_title_fights]

For the sake of a red card handball you can be Kieran Gibbs even if you are not

[@vitt_6132]

Therapy sessions at Tifo

[@JoePlatt1]

The way he said it too was different to how he says everything else

[@killercaos123]

I literally do not know what a handball is anymore. Seriously I can’t explain it consistently anymore. It’s been legislated into the ground.

[@homosapien5156]

Yup. It is insane to think that rules are being changed to accommodate VAR. Absolutely ridiculous.

[@Colby_0-3_IRL_and_title_fights]

The players themselves don't know

[@hantusendawa]

Even the players and managers are confused about the rules

[@gold9994]

@@hantusendawa the same referee can give different opinion after the game.

[@gedeabinaya9696]

I know right, if you think the handball rule is bullsh*t, them watch the penalty kick and offside rules

[@DenDave_]

Man really just used a quote from Jurassic Park, this video is already gold.

[@erick.7362]

When he said Ian Malcolm my first thought was that he was some sort of sports scientist that I hadn't heard of until I heard the Jurassic Park quote.

[@AlLuiPigus]

@@erick.7362 lol. I thought the same 😂

[@Rushfelt33]

Here's me thinking it may have been with referees being out of job...

[@larrylovestein4927]

Top tier referencing 👌🏻

[@Deathhead68]

Refs uh.. find a way.

[@applepieclub5012]

"VAR is not the problem, it's the interpretation of the rules being used" Someone get this man a raise as he just gave the best explanation to this problem, that I've heard

[@sayam4460]

"If interpretation plays too much of a role. The Instinct is to amend the rules to be increasingly black and white. And to apply a definitive lens to areas in the game that were always intended to be subjective''. Superb!

[@madspunky]

I was wondering to what 'intent' is being referred to. I'm a basketball stats fan trying to get into soccer, and I simply don't know much about this sport, so I'd love to hear this explained! : )

[@somedude1666]

Case in point 2: offsides

[@svendbraender3118]

@@madspunky Are you talking about in the Handball rule or in terms of the quote above?

[@ThiagoSilva-el6mg]

Rules should be black and white, either a rule means something or it doesn’t.

[@madspunky]

@@svendbraender3118 I'm not sure which areas of the game the quote is referring to!

[@shrimpsquad3956]

"The answer is individual to the individual providing the answer, because it cannot not be." -Tifo Football Poetry. Pure poetry

[@vasudevsharma5390]

"English Referees."

[@BrandonStarkLordofWinterfell]

Are da best

[@denizakogul]

Just watch Turkish League for 5 mins, you will appriciate your refs more

[@tanveer8518]

Spanish and Italian referees decisions are also hilarious at times

[@Vrazer]

"Referees"

[@rajeevverma1723]

Yes😂😂😂😂

[@akamiguelsanchez9985]

Football, it shouldn’t be this hard to use VAR. Just follow cricket and tennis’ example. Have 2/3 reviews for big decisions that your team thinks are wrong whether that be fouls, offsides or handball etc. It’s not 100% correct but in cricket but it gives reviews meaning and gives debate that isn’t nonsense. Football in this state is far too robotic, it’s like watching a match on FIFA with the ref set on strict.

[@Holidayinspain76]

I'm in favor of this for multiple reasons. First, it makes it visible whether a check is being done, which would allow supporters to celebrate a goal again. Second, only clear cut cases or really important moments will be looked at which would reduce the amount of waiting time. Third, the on-pitch referee can go to the monitor directly after a team asked for a review, decreasing the total review time. The only downside is that it could occur that you want to check something and don't have that ability anymore, but you'll just have yourself to blame

[@theerapats]

It can’t be compared to other sports. Football betting is on a global scale and thus at some points a match can heavily be influenced by something beyond the sport. VAR eradicates all that scam!!

[@dragonzord250]

5:09 “Significant rise in the number of penalties awarded” Shows pixelated Man Utd screenshot 😂😂😂

[@Glory-Compass]

Who would you Put They Got a Fucking Penalty after Full-time 😂

[@jelanichandler]

🤣🤣🤣

[@andrzejkopalnia]

They're basically a fraud club by now

[@Swordopolis]

Never mind handballs, the sudden glut of offside-by-half-a-millimeter calls made using VAR spits directly in the face of "clear and obvious"

[@interovic]

Clear and obvious doesn't refer to an offside. An offside is in the same realm as the ball crossing the line or other technicalities. It's supposed to be black and white just like the ball crossing the line, but the application of it needs to be improved because obviously it's being applied horribly in the prem

[@danielhuisman1996]

My biggest issue with off side and VAR is the margin for error in the technology and the line man raising his flag or not. The lines man is *supposed* to let play continue if an attack is happening and only call off side when there is not a goal about to happen. Say a goal happened, but the VAR checks it and it is offside by like 5 centimetres. Goal doesnt stand. However, if the linesman *did* raise for offside, the margin for error wouldve been 10 centimetres and the goal would stand because the VAR cannot intervene. This difference puts a LOT of power on the lines man and is still extremely unfair. Disclaimer: it could be the other way around for the margin, but the point still stands: the lines man has a huge influence over off side goals.

[@andrewtekkie]

I'm imagining someone winning a penalty because a players pinky nail was offside!

[@180times2]

@@interovic The problem is the whole of the ball needs to be over the whole of the line for a corner/ throw. However for an offside a strand of your hair will be infront of the defender and they can give it offside but the following week the same thing is onside. Its corruption. Offside should be when a player is in front of the defender not level. Level was always onside. Now its only onside if the officials WANT/NEED it to be.

[@manh385]

​​@@180times2 Arsene wenger's proposal of On side is a better one. In this, even a attacking player's backside also can be considered to be on side when it on the line of defender rather than a attacker needs to be "in" by his full body. By this proposal, backside of a attacking players include Head, Torso and Thigh only need to be on side. But I think we need to avoid Arms, Stud and Shank ( lower part of legs [ upper part of legs is Thigh ] ) to being considered for on side. Otherwise, it is difficult to a defender to catch up a attacker if we consider like, stud of boot to be onside ( Eg Mbappe 😂 )

[@cyberpokey]

Finally someone said it in a clear way. Interpretation and application of laws should be clarified and simplified. There’s plenty that can be done to remove current confusion.

[@homosapien5156]

No the video said that rules were intended to be Subjective and not black and white. And it is downright stupid to simplify them(make them black and white) in order to accommodate VAR. The rules must remain subjective.

[@johnlau6749]

@@homosapien5156 but not to an extend that causing double standard

[@andreiluswarghi7882]

@@homosapien5156 but they must be clear and referees must be well versed in every aspect of them. Right now, the problem is really that rules are not being well applied because referees are doing a poor job, not because VAR is there.

[@homosapien5156]

@@andreiluswarghi7882 But the rule changes that are causing the confusion are happening because of VAR. Not necessarily due to VAR rather the intention to make VAR a be all end all solution to weed out all subjectivity from the game which is simply not possible. VAR like the hawk eye should be used in very specific situations where there is a possibility for objectivity. Like for example the offside rule.

[@homosapien5156]

@@johnlau6749 most problems are not happening because of that. Most problems like the stupid handball rule that took intent out of the equation and simplified it down to if the ball hits the hand it's a penalty are caused by trying to make the rules objective.

[@andrepereira3800]

You have no idea how good this has been for the corrupt leagues, even with many flaws, some of which can be ironed out

[@elihowie5421]

The offside rule needs to change. Now that we have some accuracy we no longer need to be so extreme on it and give allowances. Most disallowed goals for offside seem to be questionable decisions. If they're taking a long time squinting at players shoulders 40 yards from the goal, there's clearly no advantage

[@manh385]

Arsene wenger's proposal of On side is a better one. It is better to take Head, Torso and Thigh to be on side. Also avoid Arms, Stud and Shank ( lower part of legs [ upper part of legs is Thigh ] ) to being considered for on side.

[@lucasnowicki8073]

They are changing the rules to turn VAR into something efficient, whereas VAR was supposed to apply the rules more efficiently.

[@heisenberg8917]

...After the VAR decision, the referees should speak through their microphone to clarify how and why are the result of the decision they were made. Like the NFL, i mean. Cheers.

[@AliMohamed-yq4wn]

FIFA doesn’t allow it.

[@mr.nav2226]

No That will just increase the pressure on referees. They are also humans after all and many people aren't able to take the best decisions under increased pressure

[@santanuphukan6064]

Bundesliga does it.

[@j10ant]

I have been onboard this train for years too. It works in both rugby codes too, it creates more distrust of decisions if they’re done in the dark.

[@lonestarr1490]

The VAR doesn't decide anything. He only checks and informs the referee if he thinks the referee's decision might have been wrong. Then they can propose the referee to go to the monitor and inspect the recording of the situation to reconsider the initial decision. The only instance where the referee doesn't have to consult the recording, is offside. Because in offside there's no margin for interpretation: either it's offside or it's not. So if the VAR tells the referee they found an offside, the referee can simply accept that without checking for himself. Because he cannot decide otherwise anyway.

[@infamousxreaper]

I'm not even a soccer fan but I've stumbled onto this channel and its turning me into one

[@Christopher_TG]

where are you from?

[@Tifo]

New soccer fans welcome 🙌

[@user-cg2tb9or2l]

@@Tifo The forbidden word

[@christianbustnes9212]

@@Tifo that’s a no no word

[@maxlloyd4219]

football*

[@farhanlabib3886]

what I learned - VAR itself is not the problem, the games' rules being subjective to an extent is the problem.

[@cormacdonnelly5015]

VAR is the problem, game should be governed by common sense, way it always has been

[@Deathhead68]

@@cormacdonnelly5015 I don't get how you can watch the video and then say this. VAR is just getting a better look at something, that's not a problem, the problem is trying to apply blanket rules on situations which differ by case (I.e. not using your common sense as you said)

[@Sidneygx]

Football got a bad game design.

[@RD-wg9em]

@@Sidneygx rules need to be re-examined and re-written in much more detail

[@davifiks421]

I think is the oposite, any rules are subjective at certain point, what i think is bad is putting the cold rules over the spirit of the rules, for me a referee should have a good sense of what is fair play or not (and yes that needs training too) and apply the rules accordingly, and even if "something is not in the rules" but he see that damage fair play he should do what he thinks is best, let´s remenber that football is a game and therefor preserving the good game is more important than following a book of rules. The best example i can give is VAR offside, they try hard to draw exactly perfect lines that clearly there is no way of knowing are right, the spirit of offside was not to have an attacker taking too much advantage of a high defensive line, so i would say don´t try to draw the lines perfectly because that is impossible, give offside if the attacker is clearly in front of the offside line or at least have a margin of error in that you give advantage to the attack.

[@danielraeburn3718]

1:38 Dr Ian Malcolm is definitely just Fabio Capello in disguise

[@Darwinek]

In my country VAR brought two lessons learned: 1) High increase in awarded penalties for almost nothing. Better don't even touch anyone in the penalty area. 2) Referees sitting in a van outside of the stadium can be bribed as easily as those on the pitch.

[@SnowLeopardMaster]

That Sheffield U goal versus Villa gets me so ticked off because they could clearly see via replay that the ball crossed the line. That single point saved Villa from relegation and sent Bournemouth down. Can't remember who the ref was that game but by god that call was egregious

[@dipthongthathongthongthong9691]

Just as egregious as Kevin Friend calling a "dive" on Jack Grealish just as he completed the winning assist vs Palace in injury time in Fall of 2019. That point denied was the point unearned vs Sheffield. It all balanced out.

[@molo8360]

@@dipthongthathongthongthong9691 but equally what about the Sakho “handball” that hit his shoulder? Palace would’ve been 1-0 up against Villa had that counted

[@vignotum132]

It’s not the refa fault, they are told to follow GLT no matter what: their eyes are more faulty than machines (if the machines understand the situation, which they didn’t)

[@fargo1234]

The main problem imo is the consistency of VAR It may look at a foul for 5 minutes and then won't look at a clear penalty

[@Falcon4224]

I think this is one of the best takes on video review in sports I've seen. Often you see people say things like "the referees are just shit" and "their egos are too large to admit when they make a mistake", etc etc. While that can be true to an extent, that's something that's always affected refereeing, yet we've seen a huge spike in fan complaints about refereeingin the last decade or so in *every* sport. The fact is, with better technology, we as viewers have more info than we've ever had about what happens on the field, often more than the officials have. This gave rise to video review, to give the officials the tools we have to make their decisions. But giving the viewers more information also makes them feel more confident and more stubborn in what they think is the correct decision, while rules are often written to be subjective due to the original lack of precesion in an official's ability to see the play. So, with fan outcry increasing, what do we do? We change the rules. Then fans get upset about that. American football has being going through this for decades. A number of controversial catch/no catch calls (many of which were officiated correctly but lead to the fanbase getting up in arms about it, like the Steelers Jessie James goalline play in 2017) in the last half of the last decade caused the NFL to change their catch rule. The no-call PI in the Saints Rams playoff game caused a rule change to make PI reviewable. Both of these just caused *more* controversy, because these things are inherently subjective no matter how much the rule is written to make them objective. And in trying to make these rules more objective, we create new problems in the game that we couldn't forsee (like the rise in handballs in the PL), which also makes fans updet.

[@dariolandi480]

I see the introduction of VAR as putting icing on the cake without having a cake. Are we sure our referees are trained at the best? Are we sure they're ethically strong and not inclined to corruption? Are our rules written in the best way possible? No, no, and no (at least in Italy). So what we've done is pretending technology to give a solutions to problems humans should've solved.

[@rayniedayz3824]

I don't know why but "You're either Kieran Gibbs or you're not." made me laugh so much

[@rhugo109]

There should also be some margin given to offside calls. The way they rule out goals for a player’s left finger nail slightly grazing the offside line is ridiculous

[@nelsonroy4157]

For the most part the rule makes sense, but arms shouldn't count as you cannot use them to play the ball anyway.

[@samatarMohamed]

Who is here from the umaxit days? Love this platform!!!!

[@sibuvika5930]

My favourite quote ever... "You're either Kieran Gibbs or You're not, and that's fine" 😂❤️

[@barnsey_4173]

Not even 20 seconds in and I already know the videos a banger

[@FreekaPista]

The biggest issue I've had with VAR is that it has stepped into parts of the game we had no problem with too early while it was still untested, while not making decisions where we all knew there was major room for improvement. Millimeter offsides were considered a reasonable part of the game and nobody had major issue with them before VAR. But diving in the box, and fouls where the striker isn't brought down were major areas for improvemt that VAR has improved in the slightest.

[@Mac-rf5wf]

I always find Tifo videos really interesting and insightful. This one was particularly informative as amongst other things I learned that I'm not Kieran Gibbs.

[@kuanhau4323]

Excellent observation and explanation of a complex situation from different angles into one simpler unified understanding. Well done. That’s half the battle.

[@SteveThePster]

It was an interesting experiment, but the time has come to bin VAR. This video doesn't even mention offsides, which provide the greatest drawback of all. A law that was only introduced to discourage goalhanging is causing perfectly good goals to be studied at microscopic levels, and disallowed by virtue of a player's armpit being half a cm ahead of the defender's

[@aniruddhmuley5592]

how is it that the most var controversies come from england? almost one every single matchday

[@stevencooke6451]

BTW, yet another stellar Tifo production. I wish they could be longer. I could listen to the narrator for hours.

[@neilbryankilaton5893]

4:00 FINALLY THIS GUY GETS IT!!!!!! I really tried explaining this to my colleges....

[@sbxhdbsjcbcjsc]

Slabhead manhandling Azpi was more clear and obvious than any other incident this season. Maybe the Athletic can explain what happened to VAR there

[@Robbins996]

My biggest gripe is with offsides. They seem to forget the “clear and obvious” part and rule goals out based on guess work and assumptions. Surely there should be a similar system to cricket. If the players within a pre determined Margin of error, the referees original decision stands.

[@proevomen90]

Two problems with your comment. 1) Clear and obvious never applied to offside. Clear and obvious was for the subjective decisions - the four listed above. Offside is an objective decision - one is or isn't offside [which is why, as you say, we get millimetres]. 2) Having any margin of error leads to debate now being at the line of the margin, and not the line of the offence. The problem isn't removed, just moved. Let's say there's a 3mm error margin, now we'll have a discussion of 2.99 or 3.01 etc. So the issue isn't fixed. Though I agree with the idea of being more accepting of staying with an onfield decision like in cricket, but people won't accept, now we measure offside to millimetres, that something could be offside but not given because it's tight.

[@ralphclink379]

As a referee I've gotten really frustrated by some of the criticism that VAR's been getting because a lot of people slagging it off online are using their own interpretations on incidents and to blunt, so many of them don't have the first clue what they're talking about and use considerations that just don't exist in the laws of the game. This is the first video I've seen that actually makes sense, awesome guys.

[@TheSm1thers]

I get the frustration completely. It can mean the game is stopped for a long time and often even leads to correct decisions being made into egregiously incorrect decisions through overanalysing them, plus you have lots of inconsistencies in the way it's applied. People wonder what's the point in it. It's important to note though that it also turns incorrect decisions into correct decisions. I think most of the problems stem from how the laws of the game are being changed constantly and drastically, you have lots of difference in interpretation, and of course VAR is applied pretty poorly. Needs to be way better communication protocol or even more allowances for it to intervene like if VAR miscommunicates a verdict on offside for example there needs to be an ability to go back and reverse that miscommunication. They could also start using it for 2nd yellows as that's a bit of a mess, you got players being sent off for ridiculous 2nd yellows where if they got a straight red they'd be fine.

[@RJ-lm4co]

I never clicked on a video so fast

[@mdm4902]

Read the thumbnail as „the problem with WAR“ thought I missed the rebranding.

[@uk145]

War doesn't cause the same kind of misery...

[@mdm4902]

uk145 ah yes, millions of centre backs in psychiatric facilities. Eric Dier‘s cut of his hands. It‘s a massacre.

[@tracychess3111]

Yes but Pepe lifted the ball on to the hand of a Burnley defender inside the 6 yard box and there wasn't as much as a whimper from those guys

[@Ese96Agoaye]

I recall a game between West Brom and Manchester City where referee Neil Swarbrick sent off Gareth McAuley instead of Craig Dawson. West Brom went on to mock that in a kit launch.

[@stevenalper3890]

They should be training a section of referees to be VAR specialists. It requires a different skill-set to referees on the pitch. Older referees would be the obvious choice, i.e lower physical mobility but higher experience/analytical skills

[@matthewmedley8532]

Great point. In favour of that.

[@1gomorro]

This is different. I like this new animation

[@cmalh]

I know someone who is an assistant VAR in the MLS and he says they constantly stress to only intervene when there is a "clear and obvious" mistake with the decision on the field. I think this is where the EPL ccould use immediate improvement. Right now they seem to take 2-3 min debating decisions that are very much in a grey area, which kills the momentum of the game. The other downside I see is now EPL refs will call almost anything that might be a penalty so that they can immediately review. This leads to penalties given for very soft tackles that may not have been called before VAR. And even if in the review it's a clear flop, it's much harder to overturn what has already been called on the field if there is any amount of contact (even if it's not enough to warrant a legitimate foul). Obviously MLS is not without flaws, but I do think they've handled integrating VAR into the game better. Mainly by treating it as more of a fail-safe for when the referee on the field makes a "clear and obvious" mistake, rather than having the referee on the field change their workflow to accommodate for regular VAR reviews on every major play.

[@therealking6202]

"...And to apply a definitive lens to areas in the game that were always intended to be subjective." I wasn't exactly sure the point you were making, until the final line, which wraps everything up beautifully. It ALL makes sense now. Fantastic interpretation/explanation of the problem(s) with VAR.

[@brazeee5347]

Wow!! Perfect and sophisticated explanation... I love this channel

[@Paul_Lucas]

Great video. Love this channel - this was a very worthwhile exploration of what's basically the philosophy of VAR, which I think is a cancer for all the reasons surrounding subjectivity you outline. Great for discrete calls of fact and glaring errors, less good at actually officiating the game.

[@Saintmat24]

I really enjoyed this, it clarified a lot of my own views on VAR. I know it's beyond the scope of the video here, and possibly a debate you understandably may not want to weigh in on, but I would be interested to see a video on how VAR might be adjusted to better suit football. The dichotomy between observation and application implies that there might not be any reasonable adjustment that can bridge the "interpretation gap" - nevertheless I don't see that moving back to a pre-VAR world is possible either. It would be interesting to know Tifo's views on what VAR might look like in 10 years time.

[@Enzombie]

Another problem of VAR is that referees have different views on when they are supposed to go check the monitor . They´re supposed to go check on serious or dificult incidents but if you watch the games sometimes is used when the referee already made a decision, or on obvious incidents like offsides. There's no need for the referee to lose time like that.

[@JB2387]

The problem is that it's treated as trial and error, rather than knowing categorically how the technology works and what is a foul, penalty, and so on, it feels like at times they're making it up as they go along, the whole rule of VAR not being allowed to overrule a referee is ridiculous, so when a referee makes a clear error - his decision stands. Interruption is a get-out-of-jail-free-card, so when we still have biased officials manning games corruption will continue to avail, that's the biggest issue in football, always has been, always will.

[@Holidayinspain76]

I do think it's an issue that football is so conservative about rule changes that any change that just has to happen will be implemented at the highest level. I really don't understand why there is not much experimenting with new rules at lower levels. Just try it without offside, remove throwins, allow people to dribble a free kick. Just see what works and what doesn't

[@elpi6213]

The biggest issue with VAR is that only some of the incidents are checked. For example fouls that aren't checked in midfield can lead to goals. Coaches challenge feature could resolve this.

[@najmuddinaminudin957]

Great execution of what VAR is for, and how it is being wrongly used. Thank you The Athletic team!

[@mikelarteta6683]

We need a video on what Tuchel got wrong at PSG that he's getting right at Chelsea. Peace

[@prathammrabhakar6332]

Username checks out

[@waismajid7317]

Tussle with the board.

[@NiallAwogboro]

Too early

[@domak1645]

Maybe he's actually a capable coach and performing with a team that just spent 250 million whereas Lampard was out of his depth

[@Evemeister12]

Tuchel did well at PSG with regsrd their record in their domestic league, as hes doing at chelsea. His only problem at PSG is that he didn't win the UEFA champions league.

[@farhangzahed9331]

I can't stress enough the importance of VAR. It's so great for the game. I've had enough of the stupid refree mistakes. VAR certainly didn't neutralize the refrees mistake all together like what we saw with real Madrid's championship in la liga in 2020 (some ridiculous penalties were awarded to them and also some ridiculous decision were made in their favor), but it certainly and unimaginably reduced the refrees' mistakes.

[@imTehVortex]

The biggest problem for me is the time delay - i've stopped celebrating goals...

[@AliMohamed-yq4wn]

There’s always going to be time delays, have you ever watched a sport with VAR in place, NBA decisions take 2-3 minutes per review, time doesn’t matter what’s important is getting to the correct decision.

[@11Gibb11]

@@AliMohamed-yq4wn disagree this is the fundamental problem to me as its the spirit of the game your affecting to the core, a goal is a release of huge emotion for a human and now they are damaging by making everyone paranoid that we can't celebrate in the same way before

[@lonestarr1490]

@@11Gibb11 Well, if it wasn't a goal, it wasn't a goal. Celebrating in vain has happened before the introduction of the VAR, because of late offside decisions, for instance, or a foul during a duel in the air. There has been reason to be paranoid before.

[@11Gibb11]

@@lonestarr1490 Yes, admittedly there are times when the offside flag goes up but this is usually at most 5 to 10 seconds and is fairly rare a player stops after wheeling away celebrating and you get the other fans cheering in irony its great. Now we have many situations where there is a celebration after the celebration, sets of players standing around waiting for the call for minutes, it;s ridiculous and not in the spirit of the game that we all grew up loving and watching. Yes football should always strive to improve but as the video highlighted were bending rules to accommodate the technology thats a red flag right there!

[@madhavaratikatla7758]

Amazing video. Really well-written Joe!

[@laurendaniellejones5117]

One that always got me was the penalty for Brighton against Everton last season . It changed the game completely and Everton ended up losing . Coleman was looking directly at the ball and a Brighton player ran into his heels tripped over and VAR gave a pen 🤔

[@homosapien5156]

Brilliant video highlighting the real problem ie. Changing the rules

[@rojas9061]

They should broadcast the audio live when the referees speak, I think it would help everyone to understand what they are really arguing. I think it would even help to clean the image of the referees, by showing their point of view. I don't know, I always had that idea in my head and I think it would be a cool addition to the game.

[@davifiks421]

VAR is a disaster, they forget to review basic stuff like Verratti encroaching in Messi penalty in FCB vs PSG, and they pretend that the lines that are draw are perfect which is absurd, the offside should only be given if the attacker is clearly beyond the offside line.

[@laoganmafootballclub6632]

We've been waiting for this

[@notheories9012]

This goes far beyond hand ball. The Leeds offside when Bamford was pointing where he wanted the ball to go and his arm was offside wouldn't have ever been offside in football history prior to VAR and rule changes

[@EnglishforFOOTBALLFANS]

The observational aspect went out the window with Kessie's disallowed goal and the Sheff Utd goal and hawkeye malfunction.

[@syedyousuf4246]

This video is a masterpiece in explaining what the real problem is....i hope it solves the confusion ASAP

[@mahmoudahmed4609]

I think the biggest problem of var is The lack of confidence it caused to referees I think The referee should really be more of a decisive aspect as most referees now will ignore a penalty for they know that var will review it

[@nelsonroy4157]

Overall I think VAR is a positive influence on the game but you are correct, too many referees don't make obvious calls without a second opinion. I have seen so many obvious red card calls that officials are too scared to call up front.

[@gazzathecat88]

The other major issue is the illumination of the flaws of the offside rule. Now we use VAR to determine offside to the millimetre. What is forgotten though is that the frame they use to make that precise calculation is simply a guess. Frame rates don't allow us to actually know the precise moment the ball has left a player's foot, yet they choose one frame arbitrarily and analyse the receiving player microscopically. Always been a problem because it's not possible for a linesman to see the position of the recipient of a pass at the same time as identifying the moment the ball is played but now we treat offside as if it is a factual yes or no decision without actually knowing if we're even looking at the right frame.

[@hardcoreharro]

The problem with VAR: The 2017-18 A-League Grand Final

[@ImmersiveSportsScience]

Fantastic memory there.

[@stormtrooperelite1453]

the biggest issue i have is that "clear and obvious errors" and yet they draw lines to sniff out whether or not a player if offside by half a toenail, a decision one can EASILY always get wrong if you just freeze frame at the wrong, well, frame

[@manuelcasavilca9935]

Tbh I really love all the topics you talk about in your videos (that's the best thing about this channel). Nevertheless, I'd liked the videos even more if it weren't for the visual aspects you employ (e.g. the Motion Graphics).

[@ATominator9911]

The problem is not VAR the problem is the rules. 10-20 Years ago there were clear rules. Now the rules are written to be interpreted by the referee. But not only the ref is interpreting the rules. Every player and bystander too. And thats the core of the problem. Thats the core that leads to heated arguments , to allegations of match fixing and violence.

[@theolewis8948]

Edin Dzeko looked so pleased with himself haha

[@LookAtKristian]

The last sentence sums it up perfectly for me: " ... to apply a definitive lens to areas in the game that were always intended to be subjective." Some areas of the game just can not be regulated in a black-or-white fashion because you can not find a clear indicator. For the fairest decisions possible these situations have to be open for interpretation in my opinion.

[@GeniusLad32]

4:19 I don't know why I find that so funny. That's just great visual animation humour.

[@WaywardIllumineer]

Laws of the game should never be written for those at the top to make the technology seem better, it should always be written for those at the bottom. If a Sunday league ref has no idea what is and isn't handball because they don't have VAR then the laws aren't fit for purpose

[@yussefhazem5637]

I think another problem is context alot of games I watch a flow of play and it doesn't look like a penalty but when VAR focuses on half a second and keeps rewinding it somehow looks like a penalty for example lacazette penalty vs arsenal where in live play he miss shot the ball and davinson made an attempt there was minor contact but it was after laca bulnderred it but without context they replay the contact between them and give a penalty

[@BigPurp9]

The main issue I have is offsides. If VAR was put into place to correct clear and obvious errors then an offside call that takes 2 mins and finds the striker was a toenail offside isn’t clear and obvious. At most they should just have to go off the freeze frame alone without the lines like the linesman would normally

[@proevomen90]

Clear and obvious never applied to offside. Clear and obvious was for subjective decisions [the four listed in the video]. Offside is objective - you can't subjectively be offside, you either are or aren't. There's no grey area [except there is, because where on the body do you draw the line to, and is a player active - but once those criteria are met, offside is objective]

[@klicclak]

Were things better back in the good ole days? Like 09 when Chelsea were getting screwed out of the Champions League final to the referee's "subjective" no calls... hmmmmm

[@bens4602]

That's pretty much the only good explanation of VAR and its issues I've ever seen. Good job.

[@danpreston564]

I was a ref for a tIme back in the 2000s, and the VAR debate was raging back then. I have always been against it. Mistakes by refs are as much a part of the game as mistakes by players, and the phrase 'in the opinion of the referee' is the most important thing in the laws. Now, the FA can hand out as many booklets on 'advice on interpretation of the laws of the game' at the start of each season as they like, and these booklets were designed to unify the subjective parts of the laws, but refs are individuals, and will see things differently. You can’t hope for consistency across all refs, only for consistency from one ref from week to week. The issue with VAR is that it brings other people into the decision making process. You can argue that this happens anyway with assistants and fourth officials, and it does, but not to the extent that VAR does. Once a ref is called over to the monitor, he is well aware that the other ref at Stockley Park thinks there’s a foul, and is under pressure to think the same way.

[@lambo316]

I’ve watch a few video by TIFO. Everyone I’ve seen so far is a 10/10. It’s not just one of the best footy channels, it’s one of the best anything channels. Absolutely Brilliant.

[@SurrealScotsman]

Basketball court size - 91ft long and 49ft wide = Two Referees, scorekeeper, timekeeper & shot clock operator.. Ice Hockey rink size - 60m long and 25-30m wide = four on-ice officials in each game-two referees and two linesmen. American Football pitch size - 91m long and 48m wide = Seven Officials. Football Pitch size - 105m long and 68m wide = 1 Referee & two assistant referees. Is it really any wonder there are so many disputes and arguments in football? lol Football should have a minimum of 10 officials - 1 'referee' for each half, with two assistant referees behind each goal (one each side) and 4 assistant referees on touchlines, 1 each half and each side. To expect 3 people to be able to officiate a game as fast as football on a field that big without mistakes happening is insanity.

[@MitchWebb94]

Eloquently explained - thanks again

[@chunkaz]

They should broadcast what's being said when a decision is up for review, like in cricket. That way, pundits and fans can have our their say after the game whether we think decision has been fairly implemented and adjustments can be made on how certain laws should be interpreted, based off public opinion, after all football is for the fans

[@Rudergr]

To any rugby league fan you'll know we have been living with the "video reff" since 2003 slowed the game to a halt to the point where in the 2022 season more time was spent on the video reff getting the decision wrong than we did actually watching football

[@mohamedelshazly1514]

this video leaves me wanting more on the topic somehow!

[@tdyerwestfield]

The lack of consistency in identical situations is the problem. Brighton V Liverpool ended with a penalty for Brighton in the last minute when Robertson kicked the bottom of Welbeck's boot after clearing the ball, David Coote on VAR awarded the penalty. In Brighton's next game against Chelsea, Burn kicked the bottom of CHO's boot when clearing the ball, and David Coote on VAR (the same VAR referee as the previous game) did not give a penalty. 🤷‍♂️

[@jfernandes_25]

Please can you explain the conference league and how to qualify for each country etc? Thank you

[@matthewmcneany]

If it's intentional that Gibbs and not Gibbs joke as a reference to the P vs NP problem in computer science is genius. Given that P vs NP deals with "whether problem(s) whose solution(s) can be quickly verified can also be solved quickly."

[@jasneshbhullar2858]

I know it is easy to say but just make it quicker, more transparent (i.e. allow us to listen what VAR is saying) and consistent (i.e. explain why on earth a handball one game is not a handball another despite literally being the same).

[@kevinprior3549]

I do love the illustrations... quite funny

[@kieranb4224]

Thanks Tifo another insightful video

[@rohanchauhan2457]

One like button isn't enough for the videos you guys make. Absolutely awesome!

[@garrettmercado7074]

Throwback to a podcast episode when Alex said something like VAR won’t be used to re-referee games, but it’s happened so much it seems to be more than just coincidence

[@Toniboi]

I still think the biggest example of this issue was the 2018 world cup final. On the biggest stage it became all about the ref and VAR instead of the game. I mean the ref went back to look at the screen 3 separate times and still decided it was a penalty even though he was unsure

[@NordicStadiums]

Good video, but the main problem with VAR remain the same. I slowly kills the game, by taking the tempo out of the matches and the spontanity of celebrating goals.

[@ralphfi9591]

There's no better example of review technology other than cricket. Here, there are umpires, who are just refs, on the ground but there is also an umpire in a room, called TV umpire, who does all the reviewing stuff. There's a big screen showing the video footage and different processes to the whole crowd. They also made the TV umpire put a mic on.

[@rumned]

Well I think there is a problem with a game when the rules are not meant to black and white then. If some rules were up to interpretation then we would be seeing consistency in a game as frequent as the Haley's comet sighting

[@lonestarr1490]

But what would a black and white handball rule lead to? Attackers constantly flipping the ball in order to hit defenders' hands resulting in about a million penalty kicks per season. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like that.

[@rumned]

Well for starters, since we already have the technology to observe every part of the pitch and the action that happens, make the rules so that if the hand moves towards the trajectory of the ball, it's a foul, if the ball's trajectory is going towards the hand anyway, that's not a foul. No exceptions. The players will adapt. At least with this the outcome of a match won't depend on the perceived importance of the match or the reputation of the persons involved in that match.

[@rumned]

How do you judge which is which? Just look at the footage of the ball moments before the handball claim, and look at the hands. If they were there all along, then no handball. If they were moved to interfere, then no. I think they have been doing it like this for so long but I'm still puzzled why the decisions are never consistent.

[@jacjones2795]

In my opinion with offsides, there should only be one line drawn from the defender and then they should zoom out of the players and see the full picture and the referee and VAR to DETERMINE and agree if it is on or off. Rather than showing one line from the defender and one line for the attacker and the computer itself ti say whether the attacker in onside or off.

[@qwerty3644]

The main issue is that different referees do not apply the rules in a consistent manner. Further clarifications are brought in midway through the season to react to surprising decisions - you would have thought a clear and concise legislation and interpretation was agreed upon beforehand. We cant expect anything more whilst Mike Riley is in charge of PGMOL.