The game is absolutely fucked when the most influential player on the pitch in most games is now the referee. If IFAB had any balls they’d introduce some bold changes.
- Remove any subjectivity from handball. If it hits your hand, it’s handball. However:
- Handballs in the box are indirect free kicks unless the ball is going on target (for which we’ll use Hawkeye because it’s fucking 2023 for fuck’s sake). No team should be given an almost certain goal just because the ball bounces off a defender’s fucking arm accidentally.
- Remove any subjectivity from offside. If a player is offside when the ball is played, stop play and restart with an indirect free kick. These arseholes cannot be trusted to apply ‘subjective’ offsides in a consistent way, so just delete the concept. Being in an offside position is now an offence.
- Bin VAR. Just bin it. If you remove all of the variables of split-second on-pitch perception from a subjective decision then all you’re left with is subjectivity. VAR introduces more scope for bias, not less. Keep semi-automated offside checks and goal-line technology but remove the fucking brain trust who sit in a room with access to 10,000 frames any of which can confirm the decision they want to make anyway.
Rules need to be the same on Old Trafford and on the muddy pitch where the boys play Sunday League.
Not sure who was more embarrassing LFC players for the 90 plus mins or this tosser ref and the morons on VAR.
My preferred version of the offside rule is “if you’re in the 18 yard box, you’re interfering with play”. By your very presence you’re altering the movement of defenders and keepers and thus should be given offside.
VAR is a very complex problem for football. Its a great tool that I feel is being misused, having a whole VAR team of people between the tool and the ref is counterproducing. I agree automated offsides should exist, the same way goal line tech is used nowadays, and VAR should be at disposition of the ref, not only used when a VAR team calls the ref to check smth.
A usage similar to the NFL would be better imo
In basketball they have added a feature which forces the referees to check a situation. I think they have two checks a game. Perhaps the same thing can be added in football where the manager can check something twice a game.
What team do you root for? Just wondering what your incentive is for this nonsensical rant.
Referees aren’t the most influential “player” on the pitch, except in super extreme cases (and whatever you’re upset about isn’t one of them). VAR hasn’t been applied perfectly, but it’s clearly a better solution to have instant replay than to just let mistakes happen on the field with no recourse. You’re somehow arguing that offsides and handballs should be applied as the referee initially sees it, so completely subjectively with no review, and then also saying you want more objectivity. I mean, which do you want? Referees making mistakes in the fast paced play or referees being able to check themselves after to make sure they got it right? Without even a sense of irony, you’re arguing that referees should be given more power and less power… presumably because your team had an offside or handball call in the most recent not go your way.
I mean… maybe everyone could just play without referees and everyone has to call fouls on the honor. That actually sounds like what you want. Which are the rankings of a ten year old.
even though i don’t agree everything with him i believe handball shouldn’t be subjective inside the box n should be given regardless if its intended or not
I like your handball/on target idea. Kind of like LBW in cricket.
The game is absolutely fucked when the most influential player on the pitch in most games is now the referee.
When did you start watching the game? This has always been the case. The handball rules and offside have always been just as problematic.
Getting rid of VAR would be only make the referee more important and more powerful.
Yes to free kicks inside the penalty area. It was exciting when then were introduced for back passes to the keeper but that virtually never happens now. Any excuse to make them a bit more common.
On target? What if you shot the ball like Carlos where it looks like it was going off target?
Well we’re talking about penalties and that was 40 yards from goal with no one in the penalty box. Cracking example other than that though.
Im indifferent to most of these changes except the handball one. Thats always been a huge flaw in the game in my personal opinion, especially because its such a subjective area, and many times there is almost nothing you can do to prevent it. The advantage it provides is just not balanced at all. It doesn’t necessarily have to be translated to an indirect free kick but i would like if something was done about it
Nothing wrong with VAR it’s useful technology as always it’s the people using it and the rigid rules.
I mostly agree with the handball in the box, I have seen so many questionable decisions that resulted in a penalty simply because a player touched the ball accidentally with the hand during a natural motion it’s a joke.
penalties should only be give if the player is denying a clear chance to score…
Furthermore I have mixed feelings about the VAR, there have been many cases so far where the VAR helped to prevent wrong decision making which resulted overall in a fair game, without one team getting an advantage.
However in some cases clearly wrong decisions were simply green lighted and in retrospect everyone including the ref admitting it was a wrong decision. This is something that should never happen with the VAR and the lack of consistency and what sometimes feels like randomness is what I am mainly complaining about.
Some decisions will always be 50/50 and there is no easy way to make a fair judgment.
The fact is that the sport is a lot more dynamic and much faster than it used to be 10, 20, 30 years ago the job for the ref is much more challenging and the pressure is massive considering how much money is involved in modern football.
Bold changes are needed sure but not these changes lol
- Handballs in the box are indirect free kicks unless the ball is going on target (for which we’ll use Hawkeye because it’s fucking 2023 for fuck’s sake). No team should be given an almost certain goal just because the ball bounces off a defender’s fucking arm accidentally.
And if a defender accidentally blocks a shot in the general direction of goal?
Is it on target?