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Should VAR be used in football? Should VAR be used in football?
Yes. VAR is a net positive to the game Yes. VAR is a net positive to the game
No. VAR has made football worse No. VAR has made football worse
Yes, but something needs to change Yes, but something needs to change
VAR makes the game fairer VAR makes the game fairer
VAR will reduce cheating and fouling VAR will reduce cheating and fouling
VAR can create a more attacking game VAR can create a more attacking game
Normal referees make too many mistakes Normal referees make too many mistakes
Goal-line technology in football was a great success Goal-line technology in football was a great success
VAR should lead to less complaining VAR should lead to less complaining
Fans can no longer celebrate goals in the same way Fans can no longer celebrate goals in the same way
Mistakes are part of the game Mistakes are part of the game
VAR kills the passion of the game VAR kills the passion of the game
VAR takes too long VAR takes too long
Football is too free-flowing for VAR Football is too free-flowing for VAR
VAR can't review everything VAR can't review everything
VAR could be fixed if it allowed for the 'benefit of the doubt' VAR could be fixed if it allowed for the 'benefit of the doubt'
VAR is being deliberately sabotaged in England VAR is being deliberately sabotaged in England
Video review has been a success in other sports Video review has been a success in other sports
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Should VAR be used in football?
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No. VAR has made football worse

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VAR kills the passion of the game

The rules of football were mostly created more than 100 years ago. They reflect a vastly different time long before television cameras and with less skilled referees. As a result, some of these rules don't function as intended when we can suddenly see the tiniest details of what happened.
John Aldridge
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The Argument

Many players and coaches within the Premier League are protesting against the use of VAR, and they certainly have a case for its inconsistencies and shortcomings. The passion of sports lies within the humanity and, at times, lack of clarity in plays on the field, and VAR does away with the nebulous nature of sports. Technological advancements have allowed referees to see plays much more clearly than ever before, yet such clarity, to many people within the football community at the highest level, destroys all spontaneity and unpredictability of the game. John Aldridge of Liverpool, after an especially bad weekend in 2019, said, "VAR is killing the passion of our game for all supporters and I really fear we are taking away one of the best moments in football by using technology that has holes all over it."[1] Suffice it to say, footballers and managers alike believe VAR is hurting rather than helping the overall dynamic of the game.

Counter arguments

Accuracy should be prioritized over any lack of ambiguous "passion" that players and managers cite once the VAR does not favor them. The VAR is not designed to contribute to the spontaneity of the game, and many argue that the inaccuracy with which the game was played 60 years ago was incredibly detrimental to the game itself. The referees are also not watching back every single play with VAR, so they are not meticulously observing each call to rule on it. The passion in football is not suddenly removed because of one stoppage if play in which the referees look at a play more closely so as to prevent a team of being wrongfully rewarded.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] The passion in sports like football comes from the spontaneity and unpredictability of the game, human error acting as part of that dynamic. [P2] VAR is a form of technological advancement that too meticulously observes the subtleties and human errors of the game, taking away all passion and spontaneity. [P3] VAR should not be used in football.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] "Passion" is an ambiguous term, and the idea that VAR takes that spontaneity away simply disregards all the benefits to the game it posits. Accuracy should be valued over arbitrary "passion" every time. [Rejecting P3] VAR should not be banned from football because of unclear "passion."

References

  1. https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/john-aldridge-var-is-killing-the-passion-of-football-and-i-feel-we-have-lost-one-very-special-part-of-our-sport-38640336.html#:~:text=John%20Aldridge%3A%20VAR%20is%20killing%20the%20passion%20of%20football%20and,special%20part%20of%20our%20sport
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 1 Sep 2020 at 13:14 UTC

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