The introduction of VAR into football has made the sport a very different entity than what it was before. The two main impacts that the technology has had on football are:
Firstly, goals are not the same as before. Whenever a player scores, there is always the looming dread that the goal will be cancelled out either for a toenail being offside or for an accidental handball, which we will come to in a minute. The suspense that follows the goal and during the VAR check is something that has slowed the game down and made it a more annoying process than anything.Â
Secondly, penalties are being awarded more than ever before with almost one being conceded per game. Accidental handballs are not only ruling goals out, but also offering penalties to the opposition for defending players and even the slightest bit of contact is being given as a penalty.
The best change that could come to the VAR system being followed is the introduction of some consistency in the decision-making. Moreover, micing up the referees so that the audience has some reference behind their decision making is something that can add a very new and interesting dimension to the sport.Â
We do, of course, need an overhaul in what qualifies as a handball and what doesn’t. Offsides that depend on lines being drawn and examined for minutes on end should be done away with because if you have to search for it like a needle in a haystack, it’s probably not making a very big difference.
