Greenmachine
Private Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
I find it rather surprising that there has been no obvious review or public discussion anywhere about the impact of VAR on the game in Scotland based on the evidence of last season. The introduction of VAR last season, (the biggest thing that has happened to scottish football for many years), and the consequences it has had on the game up here for me are worthy of serious assessment and debate, and I would have thought that a proper review of how VAR has impacted the game as a spectacle and what changes and tweaks might be required in order to make the game in Scotland a much more enjoyable spectacle.
I've said before I don't like VAR and feel it's introduction and more importantly the way it has been interpreted by officials has been poor in Scotland. Hibs have suffered from it, and so have other clubs. I expected to see some sort of announcement about possible changes in the way referees and VAR officials interpret the new technology we now have and is here to say. A review must surely have been taken by the SPFL based on what we witnessed last season. The things which concern me the most are the following;
1/ The huge increase in players being sent off. I can't remember a time in all the years I have watched scottish football where we have seen so many red cards being flashed by referees. Many then overturned. A number have came about after VAR checks, but IMO referees are far too quick to send players off. This has reduced the game to a farce. Last season it almost became a rarity for a match to finish with 11 against 11. This cannot possibly be a good thing ? We want to make the game more enjoyable surely ? IMO the fans are being short changed here. They deserve to see a serious review and the correct changes being introduced to reduce the number of red cards.
2/ The equally huge increase in penalty awards. For me, far too many penalties are being awarded in matches for utter nonsense. I've banged on for many years about my dislike of the handball in the penalty box rule, and now the farce of this rule has taken on epic proportions, not helped by the yelping TV pundits with far too much to say. So many penalties are being awarded for the ball striking a players hand at high speed where there is absolutely nothing the player can do about it. IMO no defender deliberately handles the ball. All this guff about the arm being in an unnatural position is just ridiculous. I know this is the current rules and the refs have to abide by them but we are getting baying crowds screaming for penalties whenever the ball hits any player in the box and refs again under huge pressure from VAR officials to check screens. Matches in many cases are won and lost by this ridiculous rule.
3/The offside rule. I'm glad we have seen some announcement about this being changed for next season to make it less likely for goals to be chaulked off when only a small part of the body is slightly offside. I just expected to see more clarity on the other things which for me are slowly reducing the game of football to some sort of pantomime act instead of the glorious game it can be at it's best.
Would be interested to hear other fans views on all this.
I've said before I don't like VAR and feel it's introduction and more importantly the way it has been interpreted by officials has been poor in Scotland. Hibs have suffered from it, and so have other clubs. I expected to see some sort of announcement about possible changes in the way referees and VAR officials interpret the new technology we now have and is here to say. A review must surely have been taken by the SPFL based on what we witnessed last season. The things which concern me the most are the following;
1/ The huge increase in players being sent off. I can't remember a time in all the years I have watched scottish football where we have seen so many red cards being flashed by referees. Many then overturned. A number have came about after VAR checks, but IMO referees are far too quick to send players off. This has reduced the game to a farce. Last season it almost became a rarity for a match to finish with 11 against 11. This cannot possibly be a good thing ? We want to make the game more enjoyable surely ? IMO the fans are being short changed here. They deserve to see a serious review and the correct changes being introduced to reduce the number of red cards.
2/ The equally huge increase in penalty awards. For me, far too many penalties are being awarded in matches for utter nonsense. I've banged on for many years about my dislike of the handball in the penalty box rule, and now the farce of this rule has taken on epic proportions, not helped by the yelping TV pundits with far too much to say. So many penalties are being awarded for the ball striking a players hand at high speed where there is absolutely nothing the player can do about it. IMO no defender deliberately handles the ball. All this guff about the arm being in an unnatural position is just ridiculous. I know this is the current rules and the refs have to abide by them but we are getting baying crowds screaming for penalties whenever the ball hits any player in the box and refs again under huge pressure from VAR officials to check screens. Matches in many cases are won and lost by this ridiculous rule.
3/The offside rule. I'm glad we have seen some announcement about this being changed for next season to make it less likely for goals to be chaulked off when only a small part of the body is slightly offside. I just expected to see more clarity on the other things which for me are slowly reducing the game of football to some sort of pantomime act instead of the glorious game it can be at it's best.
Would be interested to hear other fans views on all this.
