Its VAR Black and White no?

Or are you like myself and think the implementation of VAR in football has just passed on the very Grey areas away from the man in the middle?

Whatever your stance may be around VAR itself, its here for this World Cup and has already created talking points. For the sake of the game itself, I just hope that post the competition we are talking about great players, great goals and amazing spirit, rather than questionable VAR decisions.

My personal opinion is that for things like goal line incidents, offsides etc not a problem, that deserves to be 100% correct and the technology is there to support it. The rest I am afraid is all down to interpretation, someone still has to make that final call as to whether it is a penalty, whether its a handball, or whether the player scratched the opponents back in such a way to deserve a Red Card.

Here are 5 facts about VAR for this World Cup

1. A video assistant referee team supports the match officials during all 64 matches.
2. The video assistant referee team is located in a centralised video operation room in Moscow.
3. The video assistant referee team has access to all relevant broadcast cameras and two dedicated offside cameras.
4. The video assistant referee does not take any decisions; he supports the referee in the decision making process and the final decision can only be taken by the referee.
5. Football fans will be informed about the review process by broadcasters, commentators and infotainment.

To understand more about VAR you can watch this video What Does VAR do?

The New Excuse To Replace Penalties?

So how will the implementation of VAR at this World Cup affect our beloved England team?

At SPORTSvox we seem to think this World Cup has a different feel about it already, Germany struggling, Brazil not winning their first game no prima Donna’s in the England line-up. A young, engaged, determined squad under Southgate, could this be England’s year for a bit of success. We can all dream but one things for certain over the years, the rub of the green hasn’t quite gone England’s way.

Would VAR have made a difference in 1986 when the infamous ‘hand of god’ by Maradona, stopped arguably the best England team that’s had a chance post 1966 to win a World Cup?

Absolutely is the answer, would the match result have been different, who knows.

Subsequent outings in European Championship’s and World Cups have seen England going in with optimism but Time After Time always letting themselves down in the dreaded penalty shootout. Portugal, Argentina, Italy and our old rivals Germany all Conquerors of England when it comes to penalties.

England have the unenviable claim of having worst penalty shoot out record of any nation in competitive International football. Having won just 1 penalty shootout from 8 attempts. That may not change this year but potentially with VAR we might even avoid getting there in the first place!

Let’s think about that for a moment. Remember the scene 30th June 1998, a cracking game between Argentina and England, deserved to be a winner without penalties but alas this happens

Would having VAR looking over things on this night have made any difference? Probably not, but it might have done and then who knows, an England team playing well and just getting into their stride………

What about this moment on the 1st of July 2006, 62 mins into the game and Rooney gets his marching orders. You have to love Shearer’s comment, ‘Every chance Rooney goes back to the Man Utd training ground and sticks one on Ronaldo’.

Would VAR have made a difference on this occasion, yes I think it probably would have done. Would the match result have been different, who know’s but we might have avoided penalties.

So could this be England’s time, or will we just be replacing the Penalty excuses with VAR excuses? Whether they are good enough or not, let’s just hope we are talking about a gallant effort rather than unfortunate decisions or a bunch of missed penalties again!

Whatever your thoughts are I am sure you will be supporting England throughout the tournament. Here is a Free Bet offer for the first fixture against Tunisia with Unibet

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