Turn your attention to last month’s FA Cup third round. Remember how “refreshing” it was to watch elite football without VAR? Many players, coaches, fans and pundits agreed. You can “enjoy this moment.” Many people argued the same thing: football was better off without VAR.
Yet, this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round produced quite the opposite reaction.
Every year, the middle rounds of the FA Cup are reminiscent of the era of top-level football without VAR – it is introduced only from the fifth round onwards. But, as this weekend showed, that doesn’t mean the context debates have to go away.
In just one game– newcastle unitedTravel Aston Villa On Saturday – a red card was missed, a penalty was not given and an offside goal was wrongly allowed. Even on the weekend that started barcelona Waited eight minutes for VAR to rule out goal possibility Atletico MadridThe fourth round of the FA Cup was an advertisement for why it was introduced in the first place.
The difference between the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup perfectly illustrates football’s problem: when it comes to VAR, it doesn’t know what it wants. It thinks it does, but it actually doesn’t.
VAR takes away the enjoyment of the game somewhat, but it adds a degree of accuracy to which top-flight football has become accustomed.
With that in mind, in this week’s “VAR Review” column, we look back at key incidents and wonder: how might VAR have intervened?
Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee with over 12 seasons on the elite list, officiating in the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has worked within the VAR area in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, logic and protocols provided on a Premier League match day.
Punch:Chris Kavanagh
VAR:no VAR
Time:14th minute
Event: : tammy abraham Target
What happened: : Aston Villa midfielder douglas luiz took his nearest free kick over newcastle united Wall. He found the run to striker Abraham, who chested the ball and fired it past the goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale.
Referee’s decision: Target
decision:This was exactly the kind of goal that would be so easily dismissed Premier League. Replays showed the striker was clearly in an offside position when quick-thinking Luiz fired his free kick past the Newcastle defenders. This was a factual error which was identified very quickly by Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) in the Premier League and the goal was disallowed.
However, without technology, it is not a straightforward decision for the assistant referee. For starters, it’s at match pace, and it’s worth noting that the Villa defender Victor Lindelof Meant to block the assistant’s view.
Time:42nd minute
Event: : lucas digne deal with jacob murphy
What happened: Aston Villa defender Digne sprinted into a sliding tackle on Newcastle winger Murphy, catching him on the shin and without making contact on the ball.
Referee’s decision: yellow card
decision: Both the assistant referee and the fourth official were in a position of authority to adjudicate this decision, and Referee Kavanagh would have consulted them before awarding the yellow card. However, Digne’s lack of pace, intensity and control necessitated a red card.
Without question, this challenge would have been flagged in the VAR control center at Stockley Park and certainly would have been subjected to an on-field review. This would have given Kavanaugh another chance to assess the challenge and, in an ideal world, change his decision.
However, without the safety net of VAR, the on-field decision was final.
Time: 61 minutes
Event:digne handball
What happened:Newcastle right behind Kieran Trippier Villa delivered a cross into the box, but Digne blocked it with his hand inside the 18-yard-box, clearly over his head.
Referee’s decision: Free-kick awarded due to handball (not penalty)
decision: The officiating team awarded a free-kick instead of a penalty, believing that the offense had occurred outside the 18-yard-box. Referee Kavanagh’s attention clearly shifted from the point of contact of Trippier’s boot to the middle of the penalty area, making him vulnerable to missing such an infraction. In this example his trust is in his assistant. But, between the two of them, they need to know the status of any defender who may be on offense, forcing them to make an important decision. At a specific level, this is basic stuff. Ultimately both are accountable.
This was a decision where VAR, again, would have been a handy safety net. This could have factually overturned the original result and awarded a penalty without the need to send the referee to the on-field monitor.
Kavanagh will feel let down by his team at key moments in this game. However, his name is above the door, and he will bear the ultimate responsibility. This is the reality of life as an elite referee: no matter how well the rest of the game goes, you are judged on the key moments. Without VAR, and without great help from the rest of his team, what emerged was a difficult picture.
Time: 22nd minute
Event: Omar Marmoush rejected target
What happened: Manchester City forward Marmoush was sent across goal before hitting the ball into the top left corner, a goal that would have put City 2–0 up. However, it was pulled back for offside.
Referee’s decision: offside
Decision: At first glance, the decision to disallow Marmoush’s goal for offside appears to be a wrong decision, but further inspection is not so conclusive. It is important to consider that these types of situations are often deceiving to the naked eye, given the camera angle. The best thing that could have happened here would have been a VAR check to remove any uncertainty. Sadly, this will have to wait for the next round.
