Superficially it appears that VAR can alleviate all problems in the game; unfortunately, that is not the case. It is not the panacea to cure all of football’s issues. The main contention of VAR is that it slows down the game due to the interruption in play and the confusion it causes; the referee reviews footage in isolation and players and supporters cannot view it on large screens as they do in other sports. Luis...
Superficially it appears that VAR can alleviate all problems in the game; unfortunately, that is not the case. It is not the panacea to cure all of football’s issues. The main contention of VAR is that it slows down the game due to the interruption in play and the confusion it causes; the referee reviews footage in isolation and players and supporters cannot view it on large screens as they do in other sports. Luis Garcia, the former Liverpool and Spain winger, stated that he still objected to the use of VAR as when a referee has to make the decision and stop the match, then this will be “something that changes the [dynamic] of the game. The referee holding up the game for minutes at a time stops [the fluidity] of the game which could change the outcome of the game” Others claim VAR causes consternation on the pitch for players, and fans who need to wait for a decision.
Innovation is intrinsic to the development of football. New ideas are the “driving force of the football industry for improving comfort, safety, and performance for the players and referees on the pitch” claim FIFA. However, tradition is still very much evident in the game, and it may take longer, or head into “extra time” for opinion to catch up with technological advances.
