Why Worry Over The VAR?

The Video Assistant Referee System, the officials say, is to provide ‘minimum intervention and maximum benefit’. However, many star players and managers are sceptical about it.

- Vishnu Abarajithan

The possible inclusion of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) System in football has created a buzz among the connoisseurs of the game. The idea behind the move, apparently, is to improve the accuracy of the referees’ decisions on the field. Though it has not yet been written into the laws of the game, the VAR system is being tested in major club competitions.

In Europe the system has already been implemented in the Bundesliga (Germany) and Serie A (Italy) this year. It appears that there is not much of a problem in Serie A, whereas in the Bundesliga the players, coaches and fans seem to be a tad unhappy, as there have been frequent interventions by the VAR, resulting in unusual delays in the game.