VAR has ruined top level football.

[Lonz]

It’s the offside law that’s the main problem on this instance. As it stands the law is not fit for purpose. There was absolutely no advantage whatsoever to Wright and Coventry.

Offside was not introduced for this reason and all we are doing now is chalking off goals, and in this case the celebration and Memory of a lifetime, unnecessarily. I go back to Chelsea in 1992, our equivalent moment. I dare say VAR would find a way - somehow - to rule out Gordon Armstrong’s winner.

Change the law - must be clear daylight between attacker and last defender to be off. That would solve the problem.

Gaining an advantage delves us into grey areas that aren't necessary. He's offside.

 

[Safc98]

It’s the offside law that’s the main problem on this instance. As it stands the law is not fit for purpose. There was absolutely no advantage whatsoever to Wright and Coventry.

Offside was not introduced for this reason and all we are doing now is chalking off goals, and in this case the celebration and Memory of a lifetime, unnecessarily. I go back to Chelsea in 1992, our equivalent moment. I dare say VAR would find a way - somehow - to rule out Gordon Armstrong’s winner.

Change the law - must be clear daylight between attacker and last defender to be off. That would solve the problem.

No it wouldn’t. It would be more subjective and more open to “this VAR hates us, he gave that offside for them and not us”

 

[Matnab]

It’s the offside law that’s the main problem on this instance. As it stands the law is not fit for purpose. There was absolutely no advantage whatsoever to Wright and Coventry.

Offside was not introduced for this reason and all we are doing now is chalking off goals, and in this case the celebration and Memory of a lifetime, unnecessarily. I go back to Chelsea in 1992, our equivalent moment. I dare say VAR would find a way - somehow - to rule out Gordon Armstrong’s winner.

Change the law - must be clear daylight between attacker and last defender to be off. That would solve the problem.

I thought this was going to be trialled. It wouldn't change the margin of error and it'd make defending virtually impossible.

Imagine trying to set up a defensive line for an attacking free kick and having the attackers standing behind the defenders.

 

[Safc98]

People are only saying this is an issue because the laws and the correct decision have ruined a good story.

 

[Matnab]

People are only saying this is an issue because the laws and the correct decision have ruined a good story.

Absolutely spot on. If it was Man United that'd been denied there'd be no issues. Its the norm with attitudes to officiating. No attempts to be reasonable or rational. I don't like it = it must be wrong or unfair. Proper 6 year old stuff.

 

[Hendon Mad Frog]

Can you honestly conceive of a time in the future where there isn't outrage, fury and complete hysteria over the weekend's refereeing decisions.

No, it will always be there, but technology has been brought in to try and clear things up. It has done that to a certain extent, but it's also full of holes and grey areas when it comes to decisions, where the same type of handball is penalised one week and not the next.

It makes it look like a farce, and other leagues using VAR don't seem to have anywhere near the same problems.

 

[Safc98]

Absolutely spot on. If it was Man United that'd been denied there'd be no issues. Its the norm with attitudes to officiating. No attempts to be reasonable or rational. I don't like it = it must be wrong or unfair. Proper 6 year old stuff.

Yep. The correct decision was made. It’s like saying “oh but the ball only just crossed the line” Tough shit. The game is a game of lines and fine margins.

 

[Turnip from the Tip]

I thought this was going to be trialled. It wouldn't change the margin of error and it'd make defending virtually impossible.

Imagine trying to set up a defensive line for an attacking free kick and having the attackers standing behind the defenders.

I’m not sure I follow.
I’m taking about a return to the previous interpretation of offside (pre VAR) where they’d look for daylight and if you were level you were deemed on.

Advantage to the attacking team. Remember what offside was brought in for. It wasn’t for this.

 

[nelford_safc]

VAR is shit and has sucked any in the moment, total limbs passion out of goals. What a memory ruined for the Coventry fans yesterday.

That being said I think people are letting the occasion cloud their opinion. That would have went down as offside in a league game and the controversy wouldn’t be anywhere near as bad because it wasn’t a semi final.

People can’t shrug their shoulders of a league game but be outraged over a semi final. Offside is offside. If VAR returns offside the occasion shouldn’t matter.

 

[Matnab]

the same type of handball is penalised one week and not the next.

That's always going to be the case. No two incidents are identical. It's perfectly understandable that two fairly similar handball incidents can go different ways. You can't make handball a binary issue unless you have a 'strict liability' rule that nobody wants because it would just be daft.

 

[Hendon Mad Frog]

That's always going to be the case. No two incidents are identical. It's perfectly understandable that two fairly similar handball incidents can go different ways. You can't make handball a binary issue unless you have a 'strict liability' rule that nobody wants because it would just be daft.

I didn't say to make handball a binary issue. There are different scenarios in which it can happen and even if it happens in the same way, they still can't be consistent with it. Like I said, other leagues don't have the same problems with it and make much more consistent calls when it comes to handballs of the same nature.

It's a farce and it's the people using the technology who make it look that way, because they change their minds like the wind. They can't even decide what is clear and obvious and when to overrule, etc.

 

[Safc98]

I’m not sure I follow.
I’m taking about a return to the previous interpretation of offside (pre VAR) where they’d look for daylight and if you were level you were deemed on.

Advantage to the attacking team. Remember what offside was brought in for. It wasn’t for this.

Ah yes. Because that’s what happened and we never got goals chalked off for tight offsides and no one ever complained and Match of the Day and Sky definitely never used to draw lines to show why his toe nail was offside and why the linesman was therefore an idiot and then Twitter never ever used to pile on and say how corrupt the PL was and how the big sides got all the big decisions. Wish we could go back to that perfect world.

I actually would scrap VAR. But don’t forget how we got here.

 

[Matnab]

I’m not sure I follow.
I’m taking about a return to the previous interpretation of offside (pre VAR) where they’d look for daylight and if you were level you were deemed on.

Advantage to the attacking team. Remember what offside was brought in for. It wasn’t for this.

I don't think that was ever the rule. 'Clear daylight' has definitely never been used as a way to define whether someone was offside or not.

I genuinely don't think people think this through enough. 'Clear daylight' would be the biggest change the game has ever seen. It would allow attackers to stand goalside of a defender.

 

[Lonz]

I’m not sure I follow.
I’m taking about a return to the previous interpretation of offside (pre VAR) where they’d look for daylight and if you were level you were deemed on.

Advantage to the attacking team. Remember what offside was brought in for. It wasn’t for this.

This was because officials didn't have VAR at their disposal: if in doubt, give the benefit to the attacker. There is no doubt in this one. He is offside.

 

[scraff]

VAR isn't ruining football it's terrible officials. All VAR has done is shine a spotlight on how inept many officials are. It seems to work fine in many other sports and also on the continent where they don't seem to have half the problems we do over here.

 

[SAFC11]

It's different when you celebrate for a few minutes, then realise VAR is checking it, then wait 3 minutes for a decision.

If a linesman had his flag up before VAR, it was dealt with immediately and it would only been some fans who didn't notice the flag, not your full support celebrating.

The point is var doesn't stop you celebrating because emotions come before logic

 

[Hendon Mad Frog]

VAR isn't ruining football it's terrible officials. All VAR has done is shine a spotlight on how inept many officials are. It seems to work fine in many other sports and also on the continent where they don't seem to have half the problems we do over here.

The 'best league' in the world with some of the worst officials. They don't care though, because they can jet off to the Middle East and earn a ridiculous fee.

The point is var doesn't stop you celebrating because emotions come before logic

It has certainly stopped people celebrating, or at least not celebrating as much. Especially the goals where you know there's going to be a VAR review right away.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

Gaining an advantage delves us into grey areas that aren't necessary. He's offside.

That issues already exists within the existing rules for VAR/offside when a judgement needs to be made on whether the player is interfering with play

 

[Matnab]

I didn't say to make handball a binary issue. There are different scenarios in which it can happen and even if it happens in the same way, they still can't be consistent with it. Like I said, other leagues don't have the same problems with it and make much more consistent calls when it comes to handballs of the same nature.

It's a farce and it's the people using the technology who make it look that way, because they change their minds like the wind. They can't even decide what is clear and obvious and when to overrule, etc.

'The same way'? That's a judgement call. It's still interpretative. Just because you think two handball incidents are similar someone else will disagree with you. You can't apply a rule consistently to situations where every single incident is different.

Which leagues have got the handball situation sussed? Any evidence for this?

The 'best league' in the world with some of the worst officials. They don't care though, because they can jet off to the Middle East and earn a ridiculous fee.

I'm pretty sure we've got as many officials on the fifa elite list as any other country?

 

[Hendon Mad Frog]

'The same way'? That's a judgement call. It's still interpretative. Just because you think two handball incidents are similar someone else will disagree with you. You can't apply a rule consistently to situations where every single incident is different.

You're being pedantic as fuck and you know it. Of course a situation can't be 100% identical ffs, but you know fine well there have been a tonne of decisions this season that completely contradict a decision made the week before and so on.

It doesn't matter if someone else disagrees with me, what matters is whether they follow their own rules and more than a few times this season they haven't. To the point, they've even had to issue apologies.