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Referees have one of the toughest jobs in the world. They are probably the most disliked people on the football field. The viewers of the sport have the luxury of video highlights and time to come up with a conclusion in contrast to a referee who has a fraction of a second to make a decision that may change the course of the match. The governing body of Dutch Football, KNVB, has proposed to introduce video referees from next season to aid the referee to make decisions.
The introduction of video referees would be a first in the world of football. The KNVB will send a proposal to International Football Association Board(IFAB), FIFA body which determines the laws of the game and if it gets a favourable response would like to introduce video referees as soon as from next season.
How will it work?
Expecting KNVB President, Michael van Praag, explained how it would be implemented. He said (translated) “The video referee will sit in a car somewhere outside the stadium with a lot of displays to cover all the different angles. He will be in direct communication with the referee, like the assistant referees, via a headset.
“The video referee will have a view of all the different angles of the incident and after looking at the pictures/videos, can decide if the foul is worthy of a yellow or red and also if a penalty is to be awarded or not. After the video referee makes his decision, he can communicate with the referee immediately to help him make decisions in the match.”
Excessive technology
Football purists would be averse to such an introduction in football. They feel that it would slow down the pace and remove the human element of the sport which make it one of the most exciting and unpredictable sport in the world. The introduction of goal-line technology has been met with mixed responses and there is a fear that the introduction of the video referee will undermine the authority of the on-field referee and may not be approved unanimously.
