Forum List | Football Forum
| Topic: To VAR or not to VAR...... |
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| 1. Author: GG Riva Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 07:59 that is the question. I`ve never been completely convinced by VAR, but looking at the highlights of the Villa v Newcastle game gives plenty of food for thought. The Magpies were on the wrong end of several poor decisions, and even though they deservedly won in the end, it perhaps suggests that VAR technology is more sinned against than sinning. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c70ke0zglk5o  Not your average Sunday League player. Reply |
| 2. Author: Bletchley_Par Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 12:34 I think the officials have been infantilised by VAR. The dreadful refereeing performance in the Newcastle game could be a result of being accustomed to relying on it. Goal line technology I think is useful but not essential, I`d get rid of it all so football is the same (within reason) in a Sunday league as it is in the top tiers.  Reply |
| 3. Author: 1985Par Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 13:11 Offisde cannot be enforced correctly without VAR as the law stands. If it takes several cameras, high speed computers and a team in stockley park several minutes to establish that a player is an inch offside what chance has a linesman got? As much as i can`t stand the wait to establish that a player is an inch offside in a congested penalty area I`d rather that than see perfectly legitimate goals ruled out from unavoidable and inevitable human error (as happened twice in the Fulham Liverpool match recently) Reply |
| 4. Author: onandupthepars Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 15:06 Gimme VAR, with ongoing improvements, rather than `suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous` referees. Reply |
| 5. Author: Buster_Brown Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 15:31 I went from being a huge advocate of VAR to detesting it, however I think I detest it because of the way it’s used. Maybe if it had remained for clear and obvious decisions then I will still be in favour of it. I also hate, when I’m at Scotland games, not having a clue what is going on as I sit in the stand. VAR is hear to stay but we need to keep the paying punter informed as to what is being looked at, like they do in rugby IMHO. We all want to get back to the PL, as quickly as we can, but it’s the part of being in the PL that I’m going to absolutely dread as I just hate how VAR is influenced our game Loving You, Is In My DNA 🇾🇪 Reply |
| 6. Author: GG Riva Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 15:55 Tbf, I think VAR has eliminated a good %age of the pre-VAR errors, which were commonplace, most noticeably offsides. Players like Bobby Lennox, who was unbelievably fast, would probably have bagged many more goals today that were wrongly given offside. My main beef with VAR is not the technology itself, but with those who analyse it and still manage to get it wrong. And yet, referees are expected to get every decision right after one look...... Not your average Sunday League player. Reply |
| 7. Author: onandupthepars Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 16:17 Yeh, there must be a lot of pressure on the ref when he`s called to the wee screen. D`you think the ultimate aim is to do away with refs? With enough camera angles from all sides, from ground level up, plus overhead, maybe even in players` shirts - even in the ball - with advances in technology - could it happen in, say, 30 years time? I mean we are still in the era of primitive VAR.There might be a lot of VAR generations to come? Post Edited (Sun 15 Feb 16:17) Reply |
| 8. Author: Jeffery Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 16:32 Just got round to watching this. That`s a shocking display by the officials but maybe not surprising. I think there`s probably two issues here and we`ve seen both first hand. 1. It seems common now for a linesman/assistant ref to only call things when the ref asks. This is wrong IMO. An assistant ref should be making judgements of their own without being led by someone further away in the pitch. They should be independent, even if it means there is a disagreement and discussion between the two. It feels pointless even having people running the line these days? 2. VAR has changed the way games are refereed, even those matches that don`t have VAR. It feels like refs are less likely to make a big decision because they know VAR will look at it do utt. I suppose this conjecture could be proven by looking at how many yellows are upgraded vs reds downgraded? I`m still for VAR but I don`t like the impact it`s had on non VAR games. Reply |
| 9. Author: 1985Par Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 17:20 Wether it be in football or wider society in general, for every problem technology solves, it seems to create another. Reply |
| 10. Author: thebear Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 18:06 Var needs to be as intended, did it cross the line or was he offside. All the other guff us a nonsense Reply |
| 11. Author: veteraneastender Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 18:19 "Players like Bobby Lennox, who was unbelievably fast, would probably have bagged many more goals today that were wrongly given offside." A relative told me about a game at Firhill where Lennox was pulled up a couple of times on dubious offside calls - then as a Celtic attack developed he poised on the halfway line and casually stepped back into his own half just as the linesman was raising the flag in anticipation - right in front of the visiting support !!! Reply |
| 12. Author: Dave_1885 Date: Sun 15th Feb 2026. 18:48 Scottish football made the wrong choice when bringing in VAR - should have introduced goal line technology first given that its ruled by hawkeye. But then again VAR is not used correctly at all, and our refs are not good enough to use it. They also are worse at our level now due to relying too heavily on it, so when they drop to our level for games the mistakes are glaring. Reply |
| 13. Author: Raymie the Legend Date: Mon 16th Feb 2026. 11:18 VAR is fine. It’s the people using it that need to be better. Why not have a specialist pool compromising of ex referees and ex players ?  It`s bloody tough being a legend Ron Atkinson - 1983 Reply |
| 14. Author: WarringtonPar Date: Mon 16th Feb 2026. 11:32 Raymie the Legend, Mon 16 Feb 11:18 That’s a good idea Raymie but that would be to much like common sense Reply |
| 15. Author: Playup_Pompey Date: Mon 16th Feb 2026. 12:15 "Why not have a specialist pool compromising of ex referees and ex players ?" because i can assure you many players (current and ex) do not have a clue about laws of the game and would fail a Laws of the game assessment if they were to sit down and do it. There laws are worded that many decisions are subjective. Offsides by a toenail etc are not what fans want to see punished. Rugby has been able to adapt and re-work laws based on influence of video refs. Interesting to see the justification for no FA cup VAR when the stadiums do have the capability.  Reply |
| 16. Author: GG Riva Date: Mon 16th Feb 2026. 12:19 "Interesting to see the justification for no FA cup VAR when the stadiums do have the capability." Can you remind us what that is, PuP. I can`t remember, but I`m sure it will give us a good laugh. 🙄 Not your average Sunday League player. Reply |
| 17. Author: Raymie the Legend Date: Mon 16th Feb 2026. 12:24 Playup_Pompey, Mon 16 Feb 12:15 Hence why it should consist of ex-refs AND ex-players. The refs for the laws of the game and the players for the subjective/dark arts areas It`s bloody tough being a legend Ron Atkinson - 1983 Post Edited (Mon 16 Feb 12:24) Reply |
| 18. Author: TrancePar Date: Tue 17th Feb 2026. 14:14 IMO VAR should have a time limit, if it takes more than 30 seconds to decide if his toenail is offside then it should be counted as onside. It often feels like VAR are just desperate to chop off goals. Football needs more goals Life is made of small moments like these Reply |
| 19. Author: Playup_Pompey Date: Tue 17th Feb 2026. 16:43 "Can you remind us what that is, PuP. I can`t remember, but I`m sure it will give us a good laugh. 🙄" believe its a "point in the tournament" that it comes in. QF once all lower league clubs expected to be out. Would it be fair that Villa-Newcastle had it whilst macclesfield vs Brentford didnt? On the VAR/Laws of the game alignment Arsene Wenger had some good ideas (if any part of attacker is level they are onside) People involved in the game should 100% be involved in how we evolve and progress. Reply |
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