Today's Football

[weemac]

Extremely high standards are required in order to be a referee, but what standards apply to these (incredibly young-looking) people watching a screen and making potentially career/championship-changing decisions? Who are these people?

[Kafkaesque]

Extremely high standards are required in order to be a referee, but what standards apply to these (incredibly young-looking) people watching a screen and making potentially career/championship-changing decisions? Who are these people?

They are refs at the same level as the one on the pitch. Or I should say, the primary VAR ref is. Unsure as to the qualification requirements of the two VAR assistents.

[weemac]

Well that's something, I suppose. But it looks like they're poring over screens just looking for anything to which they can alert the referee after the event. That's what appeared to happen with England's handball equalizer. If that's true then they exert abnormal influence over the outcome of every game.

[greenmark]

If we get the same feed as the ref for the video review, then I'm astounded that the England goal was disallowed. 2 players jostling for a high bouncing ball. And it hits the goal-scorer on the arm, barely visible in repeated slow motion replays. VAR needs more work IMO.

[Kai]

Bad refs make VAR look far worse than it is, probably best to save your judgement for the premier league this season.

[weemac]

No-one in the world, including the ref, had the remotest inkling anything was amiss until the mouse-weilding teenagers in the box had time (63 seconds actually) to cast their beady eyes over every aspect of the goal in the hope that they might find something to pick fault with. I happen to think it WAS handball, but that isn't the point.

It's nothing to do with bad refereeing in most of the controversial cases I've seen. Everything to do with 4 individuals with dodgy credentials sitting in front of a screen desperately seeking something to find fault with.

I've said my bit. I think VAR is a great idea ruined by terrible execution.

[spreadbetting]

No-one in the world, including the ref, had the remotest inkling anything was amiss until the mouse-weilding teenagers in the box had time (63 seconds actually) to cast their beady eyes over every aspect of the goal in the hope that they might find something to pick fault with. I happen to think it WAS handball, but that isn't the point.

It's nothing to do with bad refereeing in most of the controversial cases I've seen. Everything to do with 4 individuals with dodgy credentials sitting in front of a screen desperately seeking something to find fault with.

I've said my bit. I think VAR is a great idea ruined by terrible execution.

Surely that's the whole point of VAR for them to cast their beady eyes on every aspect of the goal/cards etc to ensure any decision is correct, can't expect them to look thru all the various angles within seconds. At the end of the day they can only offer advice to the referee , he's the one making decisions and can ignore the VAR advice if he wishes to.

[weemac]

That's fine, SB, and there are few greater sticklers for accuracy than me, but I thought the whole point was that only palpable errors were to be reversed. I remember David Seaman saving a penalty in a European final from fully 3-4 yards off his line as the ball was kicked. That sort of thing.

Well, maybe it's me that's got things the wrong way round - won't be the first time. However, I won't be reversing MY decision not to trade football matches where VAR is in use!

[Dallas]

Once it gets underway in the PL it wouldn't surprise me if BF review how they handle it before the season ends
They won't be bothered by the number of complaints they get, they have a well-oiled auto-response for those! but if liquidity and their profits drop off that might be enough to make them review it soon rather than later

[Kai]

Once it gets underway in the PL it wouldn't surprise me if BF review how they handle it before the season ends
They won't be bothered by the number of complaints they get, they have a well-oiled auto-response for those! but if liquidity and their profits drop off that might be enough to make them review it soon rather than later

Well in this announcement they do claim that they listen to feedback from customers and that they've already updated the Exchange rules based on that feedback: https://betting.betfair.com/betfair-ann ... 118-6.html

If we hate the way that they handle VAR (which we do) we should give them that feedback, along with a sensible alternative way on how to handle it.

[firlandsfarm]

I thought VAR came if there was a clear refereeing mistake? That replay wasn't really conclusive for me. Certainly not a clear mistake

Yep totally agree greenmark. VAR is being misapplied. As I said, it should be used as the cricketing authorities use it with the referee's decision standing unless there is a clear margin of mistake.

[firlandsfarm]

Well in this announcement they do claim that they listen to feedback from customers and that they've already updated the Exchange rules based on that feedback: https://betting.betfair.com/betfair-ann ... 118-6.html

Oh come on Kai you're not being taken in by that are you! Every day you hear the same old same old … "we take XYZ very seriously" … "we put XYZ first in our procedures" … "we are working hard to correct XYZ" and the media let them get away with such bland statements.

[soccersaint]

England robbed !!!

We did say VAR will kill the game...yet again what a disastrous piece of reffing...
That’s cost us a bronze and a golden boot no doubt...

It’s becoming ludicrous ... ridiculous and embarrassing...

Take a look at the Nigeria v Cameroon game...

Great game of football, great to watch and a great relief...why ?

No VAR to spoil the party as for sure 2 of those goals would have been chalked off...

[greenmark]

Women's World Cup Final. Full house. Superb!!

[greenmark]

Congratulations USA. And what a brilliant tournament.