Recent events in the NFL cast doubt over the credibility of the upcoming introduction of VAR to the Premier League.
The Premier League has been trying to emulate the NFL since it became the Premier League. It now has the global profile, the T.V coverage, and it has the huge sums of money. It’s getting there in terms of being an outstanding spectacle.
The next step for the Premier League is the implementation of technology into the officiating of matches. Goal line technology, introduced in 2013, transitioned seamlessly into the game.
Video Assisted Refereering (VAR), will be introduced to the Premier League next season. When compared to the NFL, where instant replay was introduced in 1986, it’s lagging behind a little bit.
There is still hot debate over whether VAR will actually lead to more correct refereeing decisions. Even if it does, there are valid questions as to whether it will be worth it. VAR will certainly interrupt the flow of the game, and take something away from the emotional release of a goal.
The question is whether enough unjust or incorrect decisions will be eliminated to make that worthwhile.
T.V coverage of last summer’s World Cup in Russia is telling in this regard. T.V studios enlisted former high level referees to analyse VAR decisions post game, and they often disagreed on the outcome.
Read: Gonzalo Higuain’s Chelsea Move is Make or Break
So, if even after video footage is reviewed it comes down to an individual’s interpretation, should the Premier League leave things as they are?
Recent comments by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell show that technology does not solve everything.
Following a recent controversial referee call, or lack of a call, in the NFC Championship game the NFL is considering expanding its instant replay option. In discussing technological advancements, Goodell highlighted the human element of sport and sport officiating
“There have been a variety of proposals over the last, frankly, 15, 20 years on whether replay should be expanded,” he said.
“It does not cover judgment calls; this was a judgment call. The other complication is that it was a no-call.
“And our coaches and clubs have been very resistant, and there has not been support to date, about having a replay official or somebody in New York throw a flag when there is no flag. They have not voted for that in the past.
“Whenever officiating is part of any kind of discussion postgame, it’s never a good outcome for us.
“But we also know our officials are human, and that they’re officiating a game that moves very quickly, and that they have to make snap decisions under difficult circumstances and they’re not going to get it right every time.
“We have worked very hard to bring technology in to try to make sure we can do whatever’s possible to address those issues. But technology’s not going to solve all those issues. The game is not officiated by robots. It’s not going to be. But we have to continue to go down that path.”
Want the biggest bonuses, best odds and hottest markets? Check out our reviews section for all you need to know about online betting.
The NFL has been doing this for 33 years and they still haven’t been able to get it completely right. Goodell raises a valid point – that humans make mistakes. When it comes to English football, individual mistakes have always been a part of the game.
Managers and coaches make mistakes. Pundits make mistakes. Fans make mistakes. Players certainly make mistakes.
Perhaps the best thing to do would be to allow referees their fallibility and accept that not every decision will be 100% correct. After all, teams will get some calls in their favour, and some not in their favour.
The famous old adage by professionals is that those kinds of things balance out over a season. Is it worth fundamentally changing the way the sport is played for not alot of improvement? For the sake of analysing incidents to death when there’s another game next week? For the sake of content? This writer isn’t sure.
