The use of technology to aid decision making in sport is not new. But is the use of a video assistant referee in football spoiling the game?
Rugby has used video analysis to help referees since the beginning of the century and sports like cricket and basketball quickly followed on.
So when Scottish football finally followed suit in 2022, with the introduction of a video assistant referee (VAR), many thought the controversy surrounding refereeing decisions in Scottish football would be killed.
This introduction was intended to allow decisions to be reviewed and corrected. Instead, it seems to have lit a fire under the controversy and fuelled conspiracies, after a string of high profile mistakes.
Dundee boss Tony Docherty recently called out the system after his side conceded five penalties in just four games, almost 16 months after VAR first appeared in Scotland.
We asked the people who matter, the fans, what they think about it.
Early optimism about the VAR system in Dundee
Dundee United fan and co-host of the Dode Fox podcast, Paul McNicoll believes life is better with no VAR now his club are in the Championship.
“I find it to be better without VAR. We had it last year and you jut don’t know what’s going on,
“Getting relegated was garbage, but it least it got rid of VAR for a year, well hopefully only a year anyway,” laughed Paul.
“I thought it would help. The initial idea of VAR seemed good, it seemed sound. I genuinely thought it would help and I didn’t think it would turn in to what it has turned into.
“Although they are still probably getting the majority of decisions right, they are making things that are not so bad look terrible. You can freeze frame anything and it is going to look horrific.
“The implementation of it and the way that things are getting carried out by the refs and by the VAR officials is just ruining it for fans I think.”
Dundee FC’s DeeTV presenter Ethan Hampton has more faith in the system.
“I loved the idea of it, the theory of VAR before it came in. I was a big, big fan of the idea.
“I have never particularly believed the old cliché that things even themselves out, I think there are always teams worse off, so I was an advocate for it.”
How does VAR affect the matchday experience in Dundee?
Paul was unequivocal in his response, VAR was ruining his football experience.
“It does not enhance it. I think it ruins games at certain moments.
“It doesn’t ruin the whole game because it can still flow but it ruins the key moments, especially up here, where there isn’t always a big screen to tell you what’s happening.
“You don’t really know what is going on, you see the referee stopping the game and putting his finger to his ear and you don’t know what has happened.
“It was ruining the experience of the football fan,” said Paul.
Ethan agreed that VAR was dampening the ritual of watching games in stadiums, and pointed to a lack of communication as the main issue.
“It definitely lessens the experience,” he said.
“You are left completely in the dark most of the time.
“Until you get the facilities like a big screen to show the fans what is going on, you are going to be left wondering.
“As a football fan, you want to understand what is going on,” said Ethan.
“VAR gets a bad rap but for me it is down to the officials. The referee used to be trusted to make a decision at first glance. Now, they have the opportunity to review it as many times as they want and they still get it wrong. I can’t really understand why,” said the presenter.
So what is next for VAR?
Ethan firmly believes in the use of VAR in football as a concept. He believes the fault for the problems we see lie at the door of the officials.
“The technology is fine,” he said.
“The changes I would make would be to make the rules a lot more clear. One example is the handball rule.
“No one knows what the hand ball rule is so it needs to be made much more distinct and clear for fans.
“I also think there needs to be more communication between the refereeing departments for the fans.
“Even if it means the referee has a microphone that connects with the tannoy system and they can explain decisions.
“The biggest problems are keeping fans in the dark and the inconsistency,” finished Ethan.
Paul was more brutal in his response.
“I would like to just get rid of it,” he said.
“I don’t think that is possible because the powers that be will double down and they will tweak it and refine it.
“I see people suggesting the system used in certain sports where you get a couple of challenges, I don’t think I am in favour of that, I could come up with something if I wracked my brain but personally, I would just get rid of it.
“I can’t see that ever happening though,” concluded Paul with a small sigh of exasperation.
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