We will “readjust” VAR – IFAB secretary, Lucas Brud

With the controversy surrounding the use of the Video Assistant Referee especially in the Premier League some are saying at this point the system is too “forensic” rather than natural.

Lukas Brud, general secretary for the International Football Association Board said in a comment to BBC Sport that;

“With VAR we see some things that are going in a direction that we may need to re-adjust.”

He confirmed that the body will review the usage of VAR in its annual general meeting in February 2020.

“If you spend multiple minutes trying to identify whether it is offside or not, then it’s not clear and obvious and the original decision should stand,” he said.

He added: “What we really need to stress is that ‘clear and obvious’ applies to every single situation that is being reviewed by the VAR or the referee.

“In theory, 1mm offside is offside, but if a decision is taken that a player is not offside and the VAR is trying to identify through looking at five, six, seven, 10, 12 cameras whether or not it was offside, then the original decision should stand.

“This is the problem. People are trying to be too forensic. We are not looking to make a better decision, we are trying to get rid of the clear and obvious mistakes.

“If video evidence shows that a player was in an offside position, he was offside full stop. If it’s not obvious, then the decision cannot be changed, you stay with the original decision.

“We will be communicating to all competitions that are using VAR some updates in the coming weeks, because we are observing some developments that are not particularly the way they should be.”

 Former top-flight referee Mark Halsey told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Premier League make adjustments to how it implements VAR next season.

“You cannot change it halfway through a season but something has to change at the end of the season and it has to involve players and fans,” he said. “VAR is here to stay and, used correctly, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Everywhere else is going to the pitchside monitor and that is not happening [here],” he added.

 Sheffield United has been on the wrong end of VAR than most this season with the technology ruling in against them 6 times already as against only one time in their favour. Manager Chris Wilder recently called out that “VAR was not helping the game.”
Fans are lamenting that” it’s not football anymore at matches.”
Another former Premier League official, Dermot Gallagher, told BBC Radio 5 Live that the recent examples had shown “how tight the margins are”.

“The technology will get better and the operatives will get better. We’ve got to allow it a bit of wriggle room. It was never going to be perfect,” he said.

“It’s frustrating. I think people will get more used to it, people will tinker with the product a little bit and say, ‘If we do this it will make it better’, and I think it’s a combination and with that right combination we will eventually get the right cocktail.”