VAR

The referee saw it & clearly didn’t give it (you can tell by his arm signal when there are some half hearted appeals) – It seems to have been the VAR official who has told him that he might want to have another look at it.

He’s then made one of the worst decisions that I’ve ever seen and awarded a penalty – Handball is the only offence where the laws mention intent. It has to be deliberate for it to be an offence. You can sometimes infer intent by the position of the players arms but that was meant for instances like Caldwell used to do regularly where he used to charge out for a block with his arms above his head. Or I remember Latics playing away at West Brom & getting a penalty when the WBA defender jumped up with both arms above his head, it missed his arms but Liddell then headed against them from behind. You do that & it hits your arm then its a penalty.
In this instance the Danish player jumps up & his arms have been used to assist his jump & to help him get airborne & are in a natural position for that. He’s on his way down & has turned away & the ball is headed from no more than a yard away against his hand. Never a penalty in a million years

Problem is that the ref then starts watching it from 20 different angles & slowed down & just like a still of a challenge can make it look far worse than it actually was (just like the one City fans were posting of some challenge from a Latics mon from our cup game when they were whinging Delph shouldn’t have been sent off). When looked at trough slow motion it gives a completely false impression of what was happening & he’s changed his mind

Absolutely shocking decision

Today on the other hand, VAR got it spot on with the Neymar “penalty” but I’m more concerned as to why the ref thought it was a penalty in the first place & why he then didn’t caution Neymar for clear simulation

I’m all for it. I get so fed up when fouls that are obvious on TV are missed. It’s not good enough to say ‘it all evens out in the end’.

The ref should be able to use it when ever he wants, and either the manager or captain can have 1 or 2 calls per half, non cumulative.

But, it needs to to be much quicker; much quicker. Maybe it should be replayed on the big screen so we can all see it.

Also, I get fed up with all the shirt tugging. Shirts should have velcro side seems so with a tug they come a part. The foul is then blatantly obvious as well as being a nice bit of eye candy for some.

Bring it on, on I say.

There, that’s todays rant, yours comudgedly of Coventry.

I am under the impression that the VAR advise the ref to look and then it is his decision as to whether he does and whether he changes his mind. I like that idea if that is right tbh.

Tyldsley will be able to confirm.[/quote]

That wasn’t a penalty for Serbia yesterday. The Serbian forward was grabbing the bloke in front of him & both Swiss players were grabbing him – you can’t give anything for that as they’re all fouling each other.
The Serbian player then let’s go & forearms the 2 Swiss guys in the face & they start to pull him to the floor.
So many fouls that you can’t isolate any one of them – not sure how the ref managed to choose one on the end. He should have stepped in earlier

Egg is right about how it works as I understand it

I am under the impression that the VAR advise the ref to look and then it is his decision as to whether he does and whether he changes his mind. I like that idea if that is right tbh.

Tyldsley will be able to confirm.[/quote]

That wasn’t a penalty for Serbia yesterday. The Serbian forward was grabbing the bloke in front of him & both Swiss players were grabbing him – you can’t give anything for that as they’re all fouling each other.
The Serbian player then let’s go & forearms the 2 Swiss guys in the face & they start to pull him to the floor.
So many fouls that you can’t isolate any one of them – not sure how the ref managed to choose one on the end. He should have stepped in earlier

Egg is right about how it works as I understand it[/quote]

Mitrovic wasn’t holding either player initially, his contact was him trying to get them off. The forearm you refer to looked like him trying to jump but couldn’t with the all over him.
Anywhere else on the pitch and that would have been a foul.
Good idea mentioned above, maybe each manager / team should get a chance to call VAR themselves.

We’ll have to agree to disagree, but he was!!! As I ref if 2 players are both grabbing I’ll ask em to let go. If one lets go & the other doesn’t I’ll give a foul against the player still holding. If neither of em let go then I won’t give anything. If one player commits a separate foul then I’ll give that
That’s why I think the Serb wound up getting punished although in this instance I think he’d have been better giving nowt

You’ll not find many who agree with that handball penalty decision! :)

No change there then NL as with or without VAR the big clubs definitely get the decisions. In principle I think VAR is ok but It’s new and there’s teething problems

I’m with you in that the ref should be making the decisions. Seems some officials are not calling it and hoping VAR make the decision for them.

I get what VAR is for, but I’ve dug out a statement made by Collina where he tells officials to let it go if not sure.
In principle this is ok but this must take away some of the ref’s / lines mans natural instinctiveness & hope that VAR will have a word in their ear.
I’ve seen a couple of times where a decision hasn’t been made by any pitch officials nor VAR?
And Collina’s comments about having “13 referees who officiate” raises an eyebrow with me..

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/12/var-world-cup-referees-flag-offsides-pierluigi-collina