The World Cup is ongoing in Qatar, and the remaining teams are looking to find their way out of the quarter-finals. There has been a lot of drama and action in the games this year, with favorites going home early and legends continuing to break records and amaze global fans.
The World Cup is one of the most significant sports events this year. In the games, teams are fighting for the pride of their countries, sealing their legacies, and settling GOAT debates. That is why people behind the World Cup have come up with various ways to ensure that each game is officiated fairly.
One of these additions is VAR. This automated officiating system, first introduced in the 2018 World Cup games, was developed to help referees have better officiating decisions. The adoption of VAR, short for "Video Assistant Referee," which uses technology to review decisions made by match referees, has changed the game of football.
These qualified officials monitor matches on many screens and can replay the action in slow motion to assess calls. With the system, officials can avoid bad calls, and calls will be more rational.
VAR Technology and Precision Officiating
The VAR, according to FIFA, is intended to serve as a support tool for officials. The 2018 FIFA World Cup saw the effective deployment of video match officials, which was first implemented as part of the game's laws for the 2018-19 season. Since then, the system has been used in more than 100 professional competitions.
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How does VAR work exactly? According to Sporting News, the VAR may only assist the referee when a clear and evident error or severely missed circumstance occurs regarding a goal or no goal, penalty or no penalty, a direct red card, or when officials make calls on the wrong players.
However, VAR can only be used after an official makes an initial decision. VAR could be used to ensure that a referee's decision to allow play to continue was correct.
It is important to emphasize that the referee always makes the final decision, either based on information provided by VAR or after conducting an on-field review of the action in question.
According to NBC Sports, FIFA is deploying various sorts of VAR technology to assist officials in assessing offsides in the Qatar games. This includes 12 monitoring cameras that constantly capture data on each player's limb position and "connected ball technology," a sensor within the official match ball that sends kick-point detection data to the video operations center.
Doubts from Fans
Before the implementation of VAR in the English Premier League in 2018-19, the percentage of correct critical match decisions was 82%.
According to a Premier League report, the percentage of correct critical match decisions increased to 94% with the use of VAR between 2019-20. VAR overturned 109 calls during 2019 and 2020, for an average of one overturned call per 3.5 matches.
Despite these figures, China Daily reports that many football fans question whether the system improved the game or added a layer of complication to the great sport.
This is particularly true in Qatar, where several contentious VAR judgments have been made. It was observed to slow down the game, and offside law can often become stiff.
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