Starting with VAR; it is a system that was established to clarify certain aspects of dispute during a match and reduce the possibility of match officials making errors that can dramatically affect a result. So how’s that going?
The way I understand it is, something happens, match officials see it or don’t see it, VAR can then crash the party and reverse decisions or refer it back to the referee who can then leave the pitch and review his original decision. This process takes time during which nobody in the stadium has a clue about what is happening.
The more open to interpretation a rule is, the more confusing it becomes and the less effective it is. At the moment there appears to be no more clarity with VAR than there was before VAR. Although this system has only been in operation for a fairly short time, many of its faults have been repeated many times with little sign of addressing them. There is obviously much work still to be done and I’m not sure how the powers that be are going to do it.
The offside rule is something that we would expect to be as easily judged as goal-line technology. But that does not seem to be the case. A straight line across the field on the screen should make offside decisions easy. But, in reality, that’s not always the case. Should a finger/toe, nose, etc, make it offside. There have been many on-field debates to determine this during matches. What seems to be obviously clear to the multitude seems to been completely missed by the officials …. and they are the ones that matter.
One offside rule that is always open to interpretation is whether or not a player is interfering with play? If an offside player is anywhere between the goalkeeper and the player with the ball, the goalkeeper must, sometimes, consider him in the equation when he decides what to do about dealing with a shot on goal. That is another contentious situation because officials can read this scenario differently.
Maybe the game would be less complicated and more exciting if the offside rule did not exist. If someone wants to ‘goal-hang’ then it’s up to the defence to deal with it. It’s the same at both ends after all. This could result in more goals and therefore more excitement for the fans. Of course, both teams could park the bus which might end in more 0-0 results. Who knows? But there would be less time-wasting decisions required.
Another rule change that has occurred through the years concerns substitutions. Some will remember the time there were no subs allowed (which adversely affected the 1961 Cup final for Leicester). Subsequently, one, two, and now three became the rule. I recently saw an article saying that PL clubs had voted against a proposed increase to five subs. What would such a rule change mean?
For the top money clubs, who usually have more games because of European commitments, it makes sense. But how would that affect the Premier League. Top clubs could have five game-changers sitting on the bench whilst less financial clubs (which is most of them) could have one or two such players and three or four average players on the bench. Surely that would widen the gap even further between clubs in the PL. It would be interesting to know what each club voted for. Personally I think three subs should be enough, but it’s arguable.
Like I said, the more confusing rules become the less effective they are. At the moment there appears to be quite a lot of confusion …. and there shouldn’t be. I’m not advocating anything, just opening a discussion.
ND, rants most welcome, get it off your chest. COYS
Why is no one saying what Man utd players are doing, 2 years now? That is I allege.. looking for penalties at every opportunity. Look at replays most are dubious….yet no yellow cards for diving or try to con the ref.
Yes in PL VAR needs to be sorted out in offside lines of rule. A player has to be at least a leg / half his body beyond the last defender… and not his toenail, or boot toe stud.
Glad it’s not just me who thinks this about Man U. Hopefully next season someone will address this penalty awarding. It will get to be if you look at a ManU player the wrong way they’ll get a pen. Lol.
B108 …. As I said earlier, It would make more sense if any part of the body is onside, then the player is onside. In other words there should be clear daylight between the last defender and the attacking player for it to be offside. The ball is only out of play when all of it crosses the line …. so why not the same for offside, imo.
Geafspurs, way to easy, the way you think off-side should be, that is the problem to easy, enough said lol! COYS
This is an interesting point.
That’s been my view for a long time Geof, not sure why the powers that be don’t see it as a sensible answer to the issue, it would surely also address my earlier point in that it can be applied equally well with or without VAR.
TQ …. Exactly. It’s so simple, isn’t it. Apart from making any offside decisions easy and fair it would cut about three minutes from every VAR stoppage. Are we, and many other supporters, ahead of our time? lol Despite the ‘lol’ it’s not really funny.
You’re right geof, it’s not funny at all. How many times do we question ourselves in this kind of instance, it seems so unlikely that obvious has been overlooked that there must be something wrong with our own thinking!
* that the obvious has been overlooked
TQ, like I said to Geof earlier your two’s idea of handling the off-side is way to easy. COYS
Morning PY……yes, seems Geof and I are either geniuses or complete idiots, not sure which! lol
Geof… IMO.. your version is not compatible with the way PL is played. Its much faster now, high back lines, and VAR involved, so these “borderline ” offsides are much more observed than years ago..
That may be so block, but the rules are not just for the PL. They are universal.
Also… The way the game is played is constantly adapting as are certain rules. And the game and the players will always have to adapt in line with any rule changes. The rules and game are intertwined. One influences the other.
But as TQ pointed out earlier, rules have to apply to all football. From schools, to Sunday mornings, to semi pro to the CL to the WC… And, with or without VAR.
Geoff, TQ
Football made simple that would never happen lol. I feel to implement something like this would be easy it would as you say negate the need for lengthy VAR investigation and obvious debate on the likes of MOTD on the fairness of it all. If we were to incorporate this with a sensible hand ball rule +booking and sending off divers and those looking for a soft pen.
Then we got it sorted. We will forward this suggestion to Fifa. We’ll accept a fee of £2 million to our account paid thru VS.
Danny you get 10% handling fee.
I read yesterday, that the virtual line that VAR uses to determine offside or not, will no longer be available to the TV companies to show. In other words the line will still be used by VAR but will not be publicly viewed.
I presume this so it cannot be so finely questioned as to whether the decision made is as close a call as we have been seeing, and so hopefully reduce any controversy there might be. (Although I’m not sure). But if this is the case, surely pundits, viewers and supporters will still question outcomes anyway. And the TV cameras will still show the incident from all angles for their pundits to debate just as before but minus the crucial virtual line that VAR uses.. ???
As for the offside rule itself I think it is being reviewed and may well be altered. But it’s still an if, as the reports that I’ve read don’t really make it that clear to me. But it could be along the lines of what Geof, myself and others have suggested about “clear daylight” between attacker and last line of defence etc …. But, I don’t know.
What I’ve seen others suggest on here for the offside rule, being that only a part of the body that can score being seen as offside, is actually the current rule as it stands. A players arms and hands cannot be seen as offside but everything else on the body can. So, what remains the real sticking point as it stands is how much of the body should be seen as offside. And if it is to be seen in just mm’s how does this allow for a decent judgement of error for VAR and the ref to take into consideration? What should this judgement of error be? 10cm, 20cm? Or whatever… So, surely the offside rules do need more simplification soon… As, in for this coming season. I hope so.
I also read that assistant refs are not now to raise their flags at all for any offsides so as not to influence the ref on these close calls. Or to interfere with any potential offside call that VAR then makes…….. Again. I’m uncertain as to how this will work… It doesn’t seem so simple as it sounds, as with so much of it…
I was thinking… With Hojbjerg apparently in the process of a medical at Spurs, as I write this. I can’t ever recall a player not ever passing a medical. Can anyone else?
I mean, what exactly do these comprehensive player medicals cover, exactly? When we have bought players that never seem to be fit enough over the course of an entire season. Or have had endless injury troubles… (I’m thinking Ndombele and Lamela).
HT …. I think the only requirement that potential players need to demonstrate at a medical is that they are breathing. Other than that, all good. Well, as you infer, that’s how it seems to be.
Afternoon HT, a very good question regards the “medicals”, in the back of my mind I have a niggling about a player failing a medical, regards though his name, the Club, for the life of me I cannot remember.
This non-flagging by the linesman, if I am right it happens in Europe, but whether they flag or not it still comes back to a VAR investigation if a goal is scored, for that matter its no better, no worse, or is it, I have no bloody idea.
Surely the off-side rule has to be simplified, the idea of clear daylight I am in agreement with, but as I said earlier maybe its far to simple, but even then VAR would have to decide whether its clear daylight or not, so back to starters orders. COYS
HT, decided to do some research regards Players failing medicals…found 5 of them….
Patrik Schick, Juve to Sampdoria 2017
Radamel Falcao, Chavs to Athletic.
Victor Valder, pre-contract Monaco, 2014, released as free agent
Andrey Arshavin, to Gooners failed 1st, had 2nd and passed 2009
Ruid Van Nistelrooy, to MU in 2002, passed 2nd in 2003.
Come On You Spurs
Not sure about our club HT but there have been potential transfers called off as a result of medicals. The most recent one I can think of was a couple of summers ago where a midfielder (I think he was playing for a French club) failed his medical at Liverpool
Fekir……………no I’m not being rude, it was Nabil Fekir who failed the medical due to a dodgy knee. Loic Remy’s transfer from Newcastle to Liverpool was also called off for medical reasons.
True story
I had a friend who applied for a job which required an eye test. Problem was he had only one eye the other being “glass”. When it came to the eye test he didn’t change eyes he just changed hands lol.
He got the job BTW.
The Spurs medical must be like this
That’s clever, and funny, ND.