Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?
After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
In this week’s VAR Review: Dejan Kulusevski and Moisés Caicedo were both the subject of red-card reviews but escaped — was that the right outcome? Plus Arsenal‘s onside goal and Ipswich Town‘s frustration against AFC Bournemouth.
Possible red card: Kulusevski on Lavia
What happened: Romeo Lavia was knocked to the ground in the first minute of first-half stoppage time on a challenge from Dejan Kulusevski. Referee Anthony Taylor gave the free kick against the Tottenham Hotspur player but took no disciplinary action. Should the VAR, Jarred Gillett, have advised a red card, with Kulusevski catching Lavia on the back of the head with his elbow?
VAR decision: No red card.
VAR review: Chalobah clears the ball out of defence, and as he does so makes contact with the boot of Lewis — who had come in strongly but did not touch the Palace defender.
The contact from Chalobah was slight, and the challenge wasn’t reckless, so it didn’t meet the threshold for a VAR penalty — and that leaves Lewis with no way out of the red card.
VAR review: With the current offside technology, due to its inaccuracies, the attacker gets a “benefit of the doubt,” or “tolerance level” of around 5cm. That’s when the line for the attacker and the defender are overlapping, and a single green line is shown.
This can be confusing, however, as that green line is just to the defender. The attacker’s line doesn’t appear — because two different coloured lines sat on top of each other wouldn’t give a clear representation. At the same time, there being no line to the attacker makes it look strange, unless you know the reason.
For Arsenal’s second goal, which was ruled out through VAR, Gabriel Martinelli was well in advance of this tolerance level. (watch here)
Verdict: When the problems with semi-automated offside VAR are finally ironed out, and that’s very unlikely to be this season now due to issues with reliability in testing, the “benefit of the doubt” is gone. That’s because the inaccuracies are supposed to have gone, and absolute decisions will be made. A goal like Saliba’s might well be ruled out.
Possible goal: No foul by Delap on Arrizabalaga
What happened: Ipswich thought they had scored a second goal in the 26th minute when Cameron Burgess headed home on a corner routine, but referee Michael Salisbury blew for a foul by Liam Delap on Kepa Arrizabalaga as soon as the ball crossed the line. The VAR, Paul Tierney, checked to see if the goal should be awarded.
VAR decision: No goal.
VAR review: Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was annoyed that the goal was ruled out, but he can have no real complaints about the on-field decision.
As the corner comes over Delap has both arms around the goalkeeper, completely restricting his movement across the line. This wasn’t a striker simply standing his ground so the keeper can’t get past him, it was actively preventing him from going with the flight of the ball. It may have been holding for a short time, but this wasn’t two outfield players, it was a goalkeeper being held.
Verdict: No chance of a VAR intervention. Indeed, had the goal been given on the field there’s every chance the goal would have been ruled out for this foul, while there was another possible infringement with Conor Chaplin holding down Antoine Semenyo and stopping him heading the ball before it got to Burgess.
Some factual parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.
