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VAR – The Superhuman vs The Supervillain

We truly live in a golden age of football. World-class talent is truly worldwide, both club and world football are closer than ever, and we have the privilege to watch some of the best players to ever play dual it out on a weekly basis. The simplicity of football is what makes so loved the world over. 22 world-class athletes, competing for glory over 90 minutes by kicking a ball into a net. This formula is used for every football game; from kids in the park to athletes in a stadium. Until recently, it seemed there was no need for change, but with the introduction of technology into the modern game, people have become increasingly worried about what is fair and just, and how this impacts the outcomes of games. This is where VAR has stepped in and has slowly started to suck the soul out of this once beautiful game. 

As human beings, we are all inclined to make mistakes, as everyone knows this is how people grow and learn. Adjacent to this understanding is the fact that the higher you go in any profession, the fewer mistakes you are allowed to make due to the fallout that often follows them. No greater example of this can be found in football as any mistake seems to have a cataclysmic outcome, either in the form of a goal or the referee having to make a game-changing decision. The introduction of VAR within professional football since 2017 has taken a significant amount of pressure off of officials as instead of relying on their own perception of a situation, it is now left to a computer; the resulting decision being free of all bias and being completely objective. For those who are unaware, VAR (otherwise known as a video assistant referee) is a 5th official who reviews decisions made by the head referee through video replay and can ultimately help overturn decisions and completely change the game's outcome. This has led to VAR becoming one of the most controversial introductions into professional football ever. 

 

VAR is not the first of its kind, and there are other sports in which a combination of slow-motion cameras and additional officials can change the outcome of a decision made on the field. For example, Hawk-Eye has been used during professional tennis and cricket since 2006 and has caused nowhere near the stir that VAR has; mainly due to its lesser global popularity. However, I believe that the reason VAR is such a controversial discussion and why many believe it is ruining professional football and down to two main reasons; the elimination of chance and risk. Without these fundamental intangibles, any sport can become a slower and increasingly boring viewing experience. With them, it turns football back into the game we all grew up with.






 

 

 

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