VAR in Football: Revolution or Controversy?

Introduced to global football to reduce refereeing errors, the VAR technology (Video Assistant Referee) has profoundly transformed the world's most popular sport. Its goal is simple: to help the main referee make fairer decisions in cases of a "clear and obvious error." However, its use has sparked intense debate, pitting those who see it as an essential tool for game fairness against those who perceive it as a destructive force that has stripped the sport of its essence and spontaneity.

The Principle and Objectives of VAR

VAR works with a team of video referees who monitor the match from an operations center. They can communicate with the main referee to flag potential errors in four specific game situations:

• Goals: to check if there was a foul, an offside, or another offense before a goal.
• Penalties: to ensure that the decision to award or not award a penalty is correct.
• Direct red cards: to review serious incidents that could justify a sending-off.
• Mistaken identity: to correct a wrong identification by the referee.

The main objective is to ensure that game-changing errors are corrected, which makes the game fairer.

Criticisms and Controversies

Despite its commendable goals, VAR technology is far from being unanimously accepted. Its detractors highlight several negative points:

1. Interruption of Play

For many fans, one of the biggest problems is the loss of the game's intensity and emotion. Long pauses to check a decision break the match's rhythm and the excitement of the supporters. A goal, which is supposed to be the culmination of an attack, is now often met with anxiety and waiting.

2. Subjectivity Persists

Even with video, some decisions remain subjective. For example, the definition of a millimeter offside or a handball can still be subject to human interpretation, which makes the decisions just as controversial as before VAR. The technology has not eliminated the debate; it has simply moved it.

3. Loss of Emotion

For many people, the beauty of football lies in its imperfections. Human error is part of the game. The fear that a goal will be disallowed by VAR has diminished the joy of spontaneous celebrations and has changed the nature of the sport itself, making the game more sterile.

The Debate Continues

VAR technology is a force that continues to evolve, with new rules and adjustments made every year to resolve the issues raised. While it has undoubtedly improved the accuracy of decisions, the debate remains on the technology's impact on the sport's essence. VAR is no longer a question of whether to use it, but rather how to use it to find the right balance between fairness and the spirit of the game.