by The Fall Guy 5 Replies latest jw friends
The World Cup in Russia is being used to launch V.A.R. - Video Assistant Referee.
It will be very interesting to see if/how it affects the almost obligatory cheating offences of pulling/pushing which occur every time players are in each other's penalty area. Maybe we'll see more penalty kicks than normal being awarded.
The beautiful game?
This has been used in cricket for a number of years. Not everyone likes technology changing the flow of such a traditional game, I personally think it is a great addition to the sport. It is not perfect, but over time has been refined and in general leads to fairer decisions.
In the Australia v France match, the VAR was referred to a few times. It didn't seem to slow the play. If fans see multiple replays of an infringement, it is only fair that the referee is also able to double check what happened from multiple angles.
Mitchell and Webb sum it up for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN1WN0YMWZU
The beautiful game?
It's never been about enjoying the game. The politics behind it all is definitely not beautiful at all. We'll see what happens with VAR.
It is IMO the most beautiful team sport in the world.
VAR was not allowed for many years because of the principle that the game should be the same from the public park to the highest level. I think introducing it for the World Cup is the right decision as long as it is used sparingly. Part of the attraction of football is that the ball is active for a higher percentage of playing time than other sports. Nobody wants regular interruptions.
VAR made its debut today with the award of a penalty to France which led to the award of a penalty.
I was all for VAR, after all sometimes a match is ruined by a ref mistake or by an act of cheating.
What I hate about VAR is that it kills the moment of passion and glory unique to football- when the ball hits the back of the net. Now we all have to wait a minute while the goal is checked, by which time the drama of the moment has passed.
I’ve got mixed feelings.
