Wolverhampton’s proposal to eliminate the VAR from the Premier has been rejected within it. The majority have decided to maintain it, after analyzing their 105 interventions in the season, of which it is understood that 100 corrected errors and only 5 ended in a wrong decision. Wolverhampton, who have felt very hurt by the VAR, and hence launched their initiative, have achieved at least some improvements.
The PGMOL, the governing body of referees, which has pushed hard to maintain it, has committed to installing new practices that improve it. The insistence of the PGMOL in the case is largely due to the fact that if the VAR were withdrawn in the Premier it would not be ruled out that its referees would lose positions in the international field. Apart, of course, from the fact that the re-arbitration is a promise of more jobs for the sector, in addition to possible brokerage in commissions related to all that technological equipment.
The improvements offered are, above all, wasting less time in decisions and limiting the number of plays in which to intervene, in addition to providing more and better information, even putting the images and the debate on the stadium screen when possible.
For now, the VAR has served in England to begin talking about referees with Latin passion, altering the old and reverential custom of considering them sacred and venerable judges, which those here envied so much.
One hundred accurate corrections for only five errors. But who consoles the victims of these, who feel mocked by an unfair decision made after turning the moviola around. When this happens, no one can ignore that the judge of the VOR court is in the most corruptible position of all, within reach of a WhatsApp to receive improper instruction.
Intervening less is one of the purposes of the PGMOL. Hopefully. The most insoluble problem with VAR is how and when to intervene. The “clear and manifest error” is demonstrably ambiguous. For each person, what is clear and manifest is what harms them, not what helps them.
FIFA is proposing an experiment for the imminent Women’s U-20 World Cup, to be held this summer in Colombia. The VAR will rule on the plays of Hawk Eye, but in the debatable ones it will only do so at the request of a party. The coaches will be in charge of requesting the review, but they will only be allowed to make a mistake twice in the request. In the second review without the referee’s judgment being rectified, they will lose the right for the rest of the match.
We’ll see what comes of this. In any case, it does not seem that there is any willingness to remove the VAR. His trail of controversies is accompanied by juicy commissions for the take advantage on duty, and its mere existence enlarges the referee’s base, increasing the size of this segment of football, once reduced to what was strictly necessary.
We face corrections in the Premier and a test in Colombia. Something is something, but it is still the proof that things are not working. It was installed in a hurry, to bring football closer to other sports that have long used refereeing technology, none of which have done better than football.
A long time ago, during the years when Míchel and López Ufarte were youth players, there was a Monaco Tournament for teams of that age (both were declared the best player, which is why I mention them as a temporary reference) that FIFA used to test changes of Regulations that, I will add, used to be systematically rejected. That served to evacuate them and flush the toilet. Through this drain went occurrences such as throw-ins with the foot, the short corner (from the confluence of the side line of the area and the back line) or him being offside only from the height of the area.
Unfortunately the VAR got involved in stupid and crazy ways. It premiered at nothing less than a Club World Cup and spread like an oil spill. appeared as Mr. Marshall in Berlanga’s film, promising much and leaving disappointment in its wake.
And now the tests begin, which should have been done before to clarify its disturbing essence.
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