(NHC) Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

[Forza Fred]

Well this weekend it goes live in Australia's national league, the A League.

Referees will be able to call on video replays to decide on

Goal/no goal decisions
Penalty/no penalty decisions
Direct red cards(not 2nd yellow cards)
Mistaken identity


The VAR can only be used after the referee has made a decision (including allowing play to continue) or if a serious incident is "missed" I.e. Not seen by match officials.....although I can't answer how the ref would know to call for a 'missed' incident if none of the officials saw it, given that if a player uses the 'review signal' he will be cautioned.

I can only imagine it would mean something like a player laying prostrate behind play, and the ref decides to see who belted him...but no doubt all will be revealed in the coming weeks

Fun times ahead...but this is the first top level domestic league to implement it......no doubt it will be on some of your sports programmes, but whether we agree or don't agree, I think it will be coming to a football pitch near you in the not too distant future.


Dunno how to post the link but for those interested, the full protocols are listed on the Football Federation Australia web site.

[calumhibee1]

Well this weekend it goes live in Australia's national league, the A League.

Referees will be able to call on video replays to decide on

Goal/no goal decisions
Penalty/no penalty decisions
Direct red cards(not 2nd yellow cards)
Mistaken identity


The VAR can only be used after the referee has made a decision (including allowing play to continue) or if a serious incident is "missed" I.e. Not seen by match officials.....although I can't answer how the ref would know to call for a 'missed' incident if none of the officials saw it, given that if a player uses the 'review signal' he will be cautioned.

I can only imagine it would mean something like a player laying prostrate behind play, and the ref decides to see who belted him...but no doubt all will be revealed in the coming weeks

Fun times ahead...but this is the first top level domestic league to implement it......no doubt it will be on some of your sports programmes, but whether we agree or don't agree, I think it will be coming to a football pitch near you in the not too distant future.


Dunno how to post the link but for those interested, the full protocols are listed on the Football Federation Australia web site.

Will be interesting to see how it pans out. Anything that can be used to make officials do a better job is fine by me. Sick of watching incidents like Muirhead at Easter Road in the playoffs last year that are clear as day yet get 'missed' by the referee and cost us massively. A system like this would have eradicated that and we would most likely have went through in the playoff last year.

[Forza Fred]

Will be interesting to see how it pans out. Anything that can be used to make officials do a better job is fine by me. Sick of watching incidents like Muirhead at Easter Road in the playoffs last year that are clear as day yet get 'missed' by the referee and cost us massively. A system like this would have eradicated that and we would most likely have went through in the playoff last year.

I was originally dead ser against it as I was worried that it would mean the play would stop/start, but it seems the powers that be have taken steps to minimise that.

It has kinda crept up on us, but I'm sure it, or version 2.0 will be implemented by FIFA throughout the footballing world soon.

[percy veer]

I cant wait for this to come in in Scotland, we will be brilliant after it does, how many goal line decisions retrospective reds cards dodgy offside calls go against us and this is just against hearts.

[Mr White]

Another reason to watch the A-league matches on BT sports. I'm interested to see how this goes.

[ozwoody]

Well this weekend it goes live in Australia's national league, the A League.

Referees will be able to call on video replays to decide on

Goal/no goal decisions
Penalty/no penalty decisions
Direct red cards(not 2nd yellow cards)
Mistaken identity


The VAR can only be used after the referee has made a decision (including allowing play to continue) or if a serious incident is "missed" I.e. Not seen by match officials.....although I can't answer how the ref would know to call for a 'missed' incident if none of the officials saw it, given that if a player uses the 'review signal' he will be cautioned.

I can only imagine it would mean something like a player laying prostrate behind play, and the ref decides to see who belted him...but no doubt all will be revealed in the coming weeks

Fun times ahead...but this is the first top level domestic league to implement it......no doubt it will be on some of your sports programmes, but whether we agree or don't agree, I think it will be coming to a football pitch near you in the not too distant future.


Dunno how to post the link but for those interested, the full protocols are listed on the Football Federation Australia web site.


A League is a week late as my u18s used it to decide a goal last week!
The net had come loose for crossbar and they scored a free kick through the hole, referee was unsure but was erring on side of a goal.Fortunatly a parent was videoing on phone and brought refs attention to it, and a goal was awarded!
Opposition were not too happy but it was explained by ref that he would have awarded goal and wanted to make sure.

He still got pelters tho!

[Gordy M]

Be interested to see how this goes....im of the opinion that it could only be used for 'matters of fact' like a ball crossing the goal line etc....interesting to see how the penalty decisions go and how long these take to decide. Also, to see how they stop the game if there is a 'suspected' penalty and the ref has allowed the game to continue?

[Craig_in_Prague]

In Scotland we're willing to wait 30 seconds up to 2 minutes to gather the ball from wherever if left the field.

So a few seconds to double check with an official on video, to get some key decisions right, is only a step in the right direction.

The Griffiths free kick against Hearts that was 2 feet over the line, and the likes, would be captured. Which is a start!

[Mathias Jack]

They used it during the the France-Spain friendly last week, used twice; skip to 1.58 and 3.59 on the link below for the incidents. Although it doesn't take very long, they might want to consider stopping the clock when the VAR is called upon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXTZh3Ios7g

We've been victims of chalked off/legit goals not given in derbies...Griffiths at ER, Forster at the PBS, so i'm all for it.

[delbert]

Another reason to watch the A-league matches on BT sports. I'm interested to see how this goes.

Possibly the only reason, the games are dire !

[ancient hibee]

I cant wait for this to come in in Scotland, we will be brilliant after it does, how many goal line decisions retrospective reds cards dodgy offside calls go against us and this is just against hearts.
I think people are being a little naive about this because the video refs will come from the same background as the match ref (but probably not considered good enough to ref the match)so what guarantee is there that decisions will be any better.Look at the controversy now about the "head butt".

[Mr White]

Possibly the only reason, the games are dire !

I disagree. I watch A-league matches most weeks and almost always enjoy them. I'd say the standard is on a par with our top league, the games are mostly entertaining, most of the teams have a few technically gifted players and the commentators are enthusiastic and talk up the game at every opportunity. We could benefit from looking at how the Aussies run some aspects of their game IMO.

Out of interest, what was the last A-league match you watched?

[Iain G]

I disagree. I watch A-league matches most weeks and almost always enjoy them. I'd say the standard is on a par with our top league, the games are mostly entertaining, most of the teams have a few technically gifted players and the commentators are enthusiastic and talk up the game at every opportunity. We could benefit from looking at how the Aussies run some aspects of their game IMO.

Out of interest, what was the last A-league match you watched?

Was in the Nix annihilating Melbourne Victory again? :greengrin

[Mr White]

Was in the Nix annihilating Melbourne Victory again? :greengrin

Missed that one actually but caught a bit of brisbane roar spanking CCM's on sunday. 6 goals in the second half? That's entertainment in my book.

Back on topic I think it's a good league to trial use of video refereeing as it's low pressure compared to most leagues given it's lack of relegation. If it doesn't work out for any reason I think it'll be easy enough to go back to the way things were without too many complaints from the clubs.

[lord bunberry]

The referees in this country will be ****ting themselves, practically every decision they make will be overturned. Craig Thomson will probably retire.

[overdrive]

The referees in this country will be ****ting themselves, practically every decision they make will be overturned. Craig Thomson will probably retire.

There's very little chance that the GFA will allow this to be introduced here unless forced to by UEFA or FIFA. They will say it costs too much. They will be bricking it that it makes our useless referees look more useless.

[PeeJay]

Well this weekend it goes live in Australia's national league, the A League.

Referees will be able to call on video replays to decide on

Goal/no goal decisions
Penalty/no penalty decisions
Direct red cards(not 2nd yellow cards)
Mistaken identity


The VAR can only be used after the referee has made a decision (including allowing play to continue) or if a serious incident is "missed" I.e. Not seen by match officials.....although I can't answer how the ref would know to call for a 'missed' incident if none of the officials saw it, given that if a player uses the 'review signal' he will be cautioned.

I can only imagine it would mean something like a player laying prostrate behind play, and the ref decides to see who belted him...but no doubt all will be revealed in the coming weeks

Fun times ahead...but this is the first top level domestic league to implement it......no doubt it will be on some of your sports programmes, but whether we agree or don't agree, I think it will be coming to a football pitch near you in the not too distant future.


Dunno how to post the link but for those interested, the full protocols are listed on the Football Federation Australia web site.

It's being introduced here in Germany next season in our Bundesliga, the video panel for all games will be located in Cologne it seems and they will be responsible for recommending changes to any decison taken on the pitch. The referee's decision will be final although he will be unable to see a screen with the incident in question (except in exceptional circumstances - probably be changed as time progresses). (A trial run saw 144 games assessed with 44 criteria-relevant mistakes being made in them - 75% of which were then "corrected")

The German system/team will be checking the same issues as the Aussies: http://static-3eb8.kxcdn.com/documents/216/VAR_Protocol%20Summary_v1.0.pdf (Forza Fred's link)

... should be an interesting addition to the game, works well in rugby, see no reason it shouldn't work in football.

[DavieRoy]

Apart from our live games, the coverage of our non live games is a joke.

Sky and BT have a 10-16 cameras at a live game but the SPFL sell the non live games to rubbish like BBC Alba, two cameras, similar angle and they missed the Swanson v Foster incident.

If we want video replays for referees, we need cameras hooked up to a truck that can provide replays unlike the BBC Alba non live coverage.

This should change next season when the Sportscene deal kicks in and there has to be a minimum of 4 cameras at games.

[MartinfaePorty]

I'm all for it, however I have one main reservation around what is covered by this.

Say a player bears down on goal and knocks the ball past the keeper, but there is a collision between the 2 players. The ref waves play on and the ball falls to another attacking player who scores.

The ref is about to give the goal, but notices the assistant has his flag up, so he decides to go to video ref. Video ref says scorer is offside, but would there be scope for the attacking team to ask for a further review of the collision or would this be solely up to the ref? If not, I would prefer the '2 challenges' rule that they have in tennis to be brought in.

Am I right in thinking that in rugby if the ref asks for confirmation of fact - say if the ball has been grounded for a try - then all the video ref can look at is answering that specific question e.g. if there was a forward pass or foot in touch in the build up he can't alert the ref to that fact or take it into consideration when making his decision?

[Gordy M]

What happens if the attacker is straight through on goal....is tackled and the ball rolls to a team mate.....ref blows for a pen....its reviewed and its no pen....where does the game re-start?

[at last 61]

About bloo## time as well I've been banging on about this for years time could be saved by not treating players on the pitch unless it's a head knock

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[wookie70]

Very few instances I can think off where we would have been disadvantaged by this and countless ones where we would have had a goal,a pen, not conceded a pen, had opposition down to ten men or kept 11 men on the park for us. Bring it in as soon as possible and I suspect Scotland may win something in football at last, most overturned ref decisions.

[ancient hibee]

About bloo## time as well I've been banging on about this for years time could be saved by not treating players on the pitch unless it's a head knock

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If the SRU doc had moved the lad on the pitch a few years ago he would have died and it wasn't a head knock.Broken legs clearly should be treated on the pitch-head knocks they can walk off.

[Michael]

What happens if the attacker is straight through on goal....is tackled and the ball rolls to a team mate.....ref blows for a pen....its reviewed and its no pen....where does the game re-start?

Unfair for the team on the attack, but it would be a dropped ball I think. What else can you do?

[ancient hibee]

It would have to be a contested dropped ball-more fun and games.