By Robbie Butler
It appears that the Sky Bet Championship - the second tier of English football - will introduce VAR next season following consultation with stakeholders. Up to now, the league had simply used the traditional approach of the referee and other match officials to make decisions.
The league’s resistance to VAR encouraged me and I found myself watching the Championship more regularly than before. My motivation was because football - either in person or on television - is an entirely different product once VAR is introduced. The consumption of the game changes and the emotion that caused me to fall in love with the sport decades ago is diminished once VAR comes into play.
VAR also permits a greater degree of manipulation, by those officiating, that is not possible under the traditional refereeing model. Watching games recently under the VAR model feels different to before. It is almost as if those managing the game (administrators, broadcasters, etc.) want every match to crescendo in the final moments with some sort of dramatic conclusion.
Football has been like this for more than 100 years. It is often very boring. Data since the 1870s will show you that most games end either 0-0, 1-0 or 1-1. It was never supposed to be about drama for spectators and broadcasters. It was about sporting excellence.
While the move to use VAR seems to be unstoppable, those of us that dislike the technology need to accept it is here. That is fine. But the product is now different. Those selling it should know this too.
It appears that the Sky Bet Championship - the second tier of English football - will introduce VAR next season following consultation with stakeholders. Up to now, the league had simply used the traditional approach of the referee and other match officials to make decisions.
The league’s resistance to VAR encouraged me and I found myself watching the Championship more regularly than before. My motivation was because football - either in person or on television - is an entirely different product once VAR is introduced. The consumption of the game changes and the emotion that caused me to fall in love with the sport decades ago is diminished once VAR comes into play.
VAR also permits a greater degree of manipulation, by those officiating, that is not possible under the traditional refereeing model. Watching games recently under the VAR model feels different to before. It is almost as if those managing the game (administrators, broadcasters, etc.) want every match to crescendo in the final moments with some sort of dramatic conclusion.
Football has been like this for more than 100 years. It is often very boring. Data since the 1870s will show you that most games end either 0-0, 1-0 or 1-1. It was never supposed to be about drama for spectators and broadcasters. It was about sporting excellence.
While the move to use VAR seems to be unstoppable, those of us that dislike the technology need to accept it is here. That is fine. But the product is now different. Those selling it should know this too.
RSS Feed
