THE World Cup in Russia had outstanding moments, but its most significant impact was the implementation of the video assistant referee (VAR) for making crucial decisions in matches.
VAR, used for the first time ever by Fifa at its flagship competition, proved its worth and necessity, though on occasion left much room to cry foul.
VAR works best with little leeway for subjectivity and interpretation.
Spain’s Iago Aspas’ 90th-minute goal against Morocco, ruled out initially before VAR correctly overturned that decision, gave the Spaniards top spot in their group.
There was Brazil’s Neymar’s theatrical fall in the penalty area against Costa Rica. The referee awarded the penalty, but for the first time in the Russia World Cup, a VAR review rightly overturned the official’s decision.
But when France were awarded a penalty in the final against Croatia for what appeared to be an accidental handball by Croatia’s Ivan Perisic, it not only broke hearts but also showed how critical it was for referees to make informed decisions in light of VAR’s use.
In all, there were 29 penalty kicks at the World Cup this year, 16 more than at the previous tournament in Brazil.
Of those, VAR helped officials make a decision 11 times. That is significant and shows the impact the innovation has made.
Tennis, cricket, rugby union and American football have used technology for decades.
For all of the downside of VAR — stoppages of play and second-guessing in applying the rule — VAR is a welcome addition to football.
It’s a step in the right direction, but still needs to be fine-tuned.
RUEBEN DUDLEY
Petaling Jaya, Selangor