VAR
The VAR or Video Assistant Referee has shown up at the World Cup and other soccer (fooootball) games recently. In the game between the United States and England, the VAR “giveth and taketh away.” The supposed tying goal by England by their star, “Google Eyes,” was disallowed. I thought she was offsides when the play ran live.
(Disclaimer: I was rooting for the US but I am sure, and VAR confirmed it, that she was a little ahead. Incidentally years ago a famous football play in the game between UT and Auburn had a similar “close play” and I saw it correctly, as confirmed by instant replay. A friend of mine, an Auburn alum, said the video was at a bad angle and therefore was wrong. Oh yes, one last item. Recall the Music City Miracle? I could tell clearly that the lateral had gone backward by at least the width of the yard line. Wycheck’s foot was on the line as he threw it and it was a sidearm pass. Clearly in front of the line. Dyson caught the ball, facing his own goal, just in front of his foot which was planted on the line. At worst, the pass was a literal lateral that did not move down the field. Our Buffalo friends again argued that the angle was bad and the “pass” was indeed forward and illegal. Perspective, and I do not mean camera angle, comes into play here. Back to soccer.)
So the tying goal did not count, but a few minutes later VAR awarded a penalty kick on a play that certainly did not look like interference on first or second or even third viewing. Only when another view, one from down field and behind the play, could we see the offending “clip.” We should have intuited that from the fact that the offender fell down after the encounter. These athletes seldom fall without being hit some way. (We will withhold commentary on the blatant embellishment that occurs in our beloved game. Can VAR penalize that as well? It seems to work in hockey. But I digress.)
The point of VAR is that it affords multiple camera angles and essentially provides five, or six, or seven, or more additional officials to manage the game. Now instead of only three pairs of eyes, effectively only two as the second assistant referee is over half a field (or pitch) away, we now have multiple, close up viewers from which to make the correct calls.
As a basketball and softball umpire/referee I was counseled and, yes, harangued by seasoned officials, to “be in the right place to make the call.” You cannot make a call on a play that you cannot, and did not see.” With VAR and the various instant replays, that is no longer a critical component of competent officiating. We now “get it right,” most of the time, anyway. (See note above on perspective.)
While contemplating this subject, my mind wandered to what might have been. For instance, in soccer, the infamous or famous, depending on your perspective, “hand of God” goal in soccer would have never happened. Diego Maradona, of Argentina, scored a goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. The video clearly showed him as offside and using his hand to propel the ball into the goal. (The existing video shows it, without the multiple VAR angles currently in use.) At least two referees were asleep on that play. For the record, Argentina, and Maradona again, scored a second goal to win by a 2-1 score, making the HOG goal critical. Argentina went on to win the cup against West Germany.
If VAR had been in play the goal would have been disallowed and all this delicious irony would not color our soccer legends. Additionally, the US lost a goal in the previous game on an offsides that wasn’t. At least, it didn’t look like it to my unbiased eye.
Well, let’s go on with the game. Go USA! Go VAR. Have a great day and Fourth of July.
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