VAR To Get The Boot?

[Cleve van Leef]

Vote by PL Clubs

Premier League clubs will vote on whether to scrap video assistant referees (VAR) from next season at their annual general meeting next month.

Wolves have formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League which will trigger a vote when the 20 member clubs meet in Harrogate on 6 June.

The club said VAR was introduced "in good faith" but has led to "numerous unintended negative consequences that are damaging the relationship between fans and football".

VAR was introduced in 2019 to help support on-field officials with key match decisions, but there have been a number of controversial incidents involving the technology this season.

"The price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game," read a Wolves statement.

The Premier League said it "acknowledged the concerns" about VAR but "fully supports" technology and will continue to work with referees' body PGMOL to make improvements.

[Moodybluebird]

I hope the clubs vote for it to be scrapped.

Sounded good when it was first introduced but all spontaneity has been taken out of the game.

All this checking for an offside in the build up to a goal is just nonsense. It's like the VAR team is trying to justify its existence by doing everything in its power to have goals disallowed.

Probably the worst innovation ever to the game of football. Unlike goal line technology, which is a resounding success, VAR is an unadulterated failure. Good riddance to it.

[2b2bdoo]

Never wanted it, hope it goes.

[Canton Kev]

I believe the virtual offside that was used in the World Cup is being introduced next season?

I’d happily have that and scrap VAR for all other decisions. 90% of VAR calls seem to be used for offside goals and offside is pretty definitive whereas the rest of VAR calls are subjective and take far too long.

[PontBlue]

With the number of clubs moaning about VAR I'd be amazed if it doesn't get the boot.

[chris lee]

I would scrap it, considering the championship has not had it all, our league seems to be doing just fine, obviously mistakes here and there but nothing too controversial

[chris lee]

Remember same Euro games used to have 4th and 5th officials back in the day? My memory is that they were useless and never actually did anything, but I liked the idea in principle.


If they did scrap VAR maybe bring back the 4th and 5th to stand near the goals and to be an extra pair of eyes for penalty decisions?

[bobh]

Remember same Euro games used to have 4th and 5th officials back in the day? My memory is that they were useless and never actually did anything, but I liked the idea in principle.


If they did scrap VAR maybe bring back the 4th and 5th to stand near the goals and to be an extra pair of eyes for penalty decisions?

Like the pen Wales didn't get in 2016, when one of our players was virtually strangled right in front of the "extra pair of eyes", who did nothing.
Can't recall the players' names)

[Father Dougal]

Definitely the worst thing ever to happen to football. The Fact fans can't celebrate goals anymore is truly awful.

[BLUETIT]

Like the pen Wales didn't get in 2016, when one of our players was virtually strangled right in front of the "extra pair of eyes", who did nothing.
Can't recall the players' names)

Jonnie Williams

[RichardM]

Wolves are the ones who have kicked this off as they have called for VAR to be scrapped.
This will trigger a vote. The vote will take place on June 6th. All 20 Premier league teams for the 2024/25 season will be confirmed by this date.
A list was compiled as to why they want this vote
● Impact on goal celebrations and the spontaneous passion that makes football special.
● Frustration and confusion inside stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication.
● A more hostile atmosphere with protests, booing of the Premier League anthem and chants against VAR.
● Overreach of VAR’s original purpose to correct clear and obvious mistakes, now overanalysing subjective decisions and compromising the game’s fluidity and integrity.
● Diminished accountability of on-field officials, due to the safety net of VAR, leading to an erosion of authority on the pitch.
● Continued errors despite VAR, with supporters unable to accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in officiating standards.
● Disruption of the Premier League’s fast pace with lengthy VAR checks and more added time, causing matches to run excessively long.
● Constant discourse about VAR decisions often overshadowing the match itself, and tarnishing the reputation of the league.
● Erosion of trust and reputation, with VAR fuelling completely nonsensical allegations of corruption.
This story was broken by the Athletic's David Ornstein

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Sky Sports reporting that clubs will vote on a possible abolition. I think it would still be up to the Premier League.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I want a version of it kept on to ban the poncey diving cheats

[Madassa]

Sky Sports reporting that clubs will vote on a possible abolition. I think it would still be up to the Premier League.

It would be interesting to see the reaction if the clubs voted VAR out and The PL ignored them. I assume we'll learn how eah club votes?

[Alan Lung]

I like it, it's not perfect but it just needs fine tuning. I hope it stays.

[The Lone Gunman]

It would be interesting to see the reaction if the clubs voted VAR out and The PL ignored them. I assume we'll learn how eah club votes?

We will eventually. For instance, we know that Cardiff City voted for the introduction of VAR.

[blue matt]

● Impact on goal celebrations and the spontaneous passion that makes football special.

for me, this is the biggest reason to get rid, you go one up and get mildly excited till you the VAR check is complete, then the moment has gone

[Tuerto]

for me, this is the biggest reason to get rid, you go one up and get mildly excited till you the VAR check is complete, then the moment has gone

The biggest reason to get rid of it for me is that it shows us that no matter what any of the authorities do, human error will always exist in football, from anyone and everyone who enters the field of play, and thank the lord for that. i feel sorry for officials, some of the decisions they're supposed to come on the right side of are almost impossible to judge. There's way too much nuance involved. So, pundits, journalists, fans, players and all of the rest in between, have your moan when a decision goes against you, but be mindful that it's just one person out there making decisions (if Var is scrapped) and respect it. Mistakes are a part of the game as much as goals, corners and throw ins are. If you're on the end of a poor shout, suck it up, that's life.

[the other bob wilson]

Nothing wrong with the concept of technology correcting “clear and obvious” errors as was originally intended, but within weeks, or even days, the authorities were moving away from that concept until we reached the current situation where they look at every goal scored and appear to think how can we disallow that?

If you look at incidents where the question is did the ball cross the line, the technology is there where you get a correct decision so quickly that the game does not need to be stopped and so, if the authorities insist that the rigorous off side check needs to stay, they should be stopped temporarily until there is technology available that comes to a correct decision far, far quicker than it does now.

VAR has, indirectly, made the hand ball law impossible to understand and I would go back to the old more liberal system of what constitutes handball, unless there is an error made that is so definitely clear and obvious and will take seconds to correct through technology.

VAR has done nothing to change the ridiculous grappling at free kicks and corners which, if anything, is getting worse. How can a case for the waits which go on while some people hundreds of miles away watch endless replays of a goal be made, when VAR is ignoring the clear and obvious fouling going on at dead ball situations?

It,ll never happen, but I would suggest that unless or until VAR can prove a clear and obvious error within, say, fifteen seconds, it should be put in mothballs until the time arrives when it can do that.

[Trigger]

Never wanted it, hope it goes.

This.

Unless the technology is instant like the goal line tech I don't think it works at all with the game.

[pipster]

This.

Unless the technology is instant like the goal line tech I don't think it works at all with the game.

Officials are human - they will make mistakes. VAR takes most of that away - apart from the fact sometimes the footage is viewed by humans to judge.

Keep it - just need to update the system. Does anyone really want a multi million pound decision being left to one official to put his or her flag up or not - I dont.

[PontBlue]

If it is to be retained there needs to be a short time limit and drawing of lines needs to be dropped.

If it isn't clear and obvious quickly, to the naked eye, a decision is wrong go with the onfield decision

[bobh]

If it is to be retained there needs to be a short time limit and drawing of lines needs to be dropped.

If it isn't clear and obvious quickly, to the naked eye, a decision is wrong go with the onfield decision

Well said!

[splott parker]

Officials are human - they will make mistakes. VAR takes most of that away - apart from the fact sometimes the footage is viewed by humans to judge.

Keep it - just need to update the system. Does anyone really want a multi million pound decision being left to one official to put his or her flag up or not - I dont.

Talking of flags, I’m not keen on the delaying of the linesman flagging, waiting for the passage of play to end. Injuries have occurred after obvious offences when the game should have been stopped. The ref always has the option to play the advantage if needed but it’s annoying when the ball ends up in the net and, when watching on telly, the commentator comes out with ‘And now the flag goes up’.

[bobh]

Wouldn't we have stayed in the prem under Warnock if VAR was in use?