It's been a not so straightforward ride with the coming of VAR. There has been complains, suspicion, suspence and ofcourse there has been the refreshing of accuracy.
On Thursday 14th November 2024, FIFA announced that they will replace VAR with FVS. So it's a change of officiating system, FVS stands for Football Video Support.
FIFA, in simple terms, has said that the VAR experiment has generally affected football negatively, thus it is failed project, that needs be overhauled.
So what’s the difference?
It's the inclusivity that is the dividing line.
The FVS system will give some ventilation to coaches, allowing them to request the referee to review their decision twice during a match. So each coach can request two reviews per match.
Caveat
However, if a coach tenders a review request and it doesn't change the earlier call by the referee, the coach will lose or forfeit his second opportunity, thus won't be able to call for another review for the rest of the match.
FIFA believes this system is much simpler than VAR, as it uses only 4 or 5 cameras and eliminating the need for the video referee team required by VAR.
FIFA tested this system at the U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups, and it’s already used in other sports like basketball and tennis.[Though I know in tennis, if your review request is successful, you retain it]
So what’s the result?
The greatest problem with VAR was what I call "the human factor"— the fact that the video itself doesn't make the decision, it's the referee and VAR officials who does. That this decision is exclusive to those just mentioned creates a tendency for not achieving fair judgment.
Funny thing is that with the FVS, referees' mistakes are not necessarily reduced, and as a coach, you only have two chances to try to save a decision because there’s no VAR to back you up!
I don't see this as a significant improvement.
Summary
Coaches now need to keep a keen eye on offside situations, penalty decisions, and red cards, and make a calculated risk when challenging them.
So, basically, as a coach, you’re forced to be like a referee. Once your two attempts are used up, don’t bother asking the referee for anything else and just accept whatever happens in the match! Yet we know that it's impossible to be a coach and a referee at thesame time. Maybe the coach will ask his bench to assist him wity the refereeing part.
An excerpt
Someone made an argument for VAR which gels with my kind of thinking:
"VAR is till good but they should just add up a massive LED Screen display so that the All stadium must watch and see when the VAR review in process, cz they use small screen the private one for what????
"The rigging strategy started When they introduced VAR system and made it Secret review even players where not allowed to stand close to the referee when he's on review😂😂😅😅😅😅 I still remember the Other incident where Lionel Messi wanted to watch VAR review with referee, they didn't allow him.."
I must say that football is entering probably it's most confusing era.
What say ye?
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