#4 VAR has a long way to go
VAR or Video Assistant Referee made its much-maligned debut at the FIFA Confederations Cup and we have seen enough evidence of the pros and cons of the technology as we reach the fag end of the tournament. However, VAR has a long way to go before it is widely accepted by football bodies across the world.
Last night, in the dying minutes of extra-time, Francisco Silva was brought down inside the box by Jose Fonte after the Chilean had expertly brought the ball under control in the area and had created room for himself. However, the referee didn’t see it is a penalty and awarded a goal kick.
The referee, Alireza Faghani, had the option to utilize VAR but he chose not to and had Chile been knocked out of the tournament, there would have been a massive uproar, for it was a legitimate shout by La Roja for a penalty and a VAR review would have seen them awarded a penalty.
The technology is a welcome change to reduce the number of errors made by referees during the game but there are many chinks to be ironed out before it is ready for full-blown implementation.
