SME-Written by/ Ali Al-Basha
Throughout the past seasons, the clubs and the football street were demanding the application of video technology (VAR) in our stadiums after the phenomenon of (referees’ errors) spread unbearably, so the response and its application starting from the current football season, as if it was the savior, but it appeared that the problem was in the human element as its errors were repeated.
The application of the (VAR) technology did not solve the problem, as evidenced by the clubs’ complaints due to the lack of experience of those managing the process, or the lack of success in choosing the management of video technology: It is unreasonable (for example) to put a referee who has just returned from injury, and is just) subject to examination and does not have (the sensitivity of arbitration as a (VAR) referee and his assistant is a third-degree referee.
In the last (problem) meeting that brought together Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ahly in the round of 16 of the most expensive cups, Al-Ettifaq was deprived of the equalizing goal, and the reason is that the (VAR) referee put the field referee in trouble, so he violated (the video technology protocol by calling him to judge the (cancelled) goal instead of making it (the decision), because it is his!
(The video technology protocol) is clear, if the goal was (The problem is offside: the decision is up to the VAR referee and he cancels it, not the field referee), and he only calls for it in the event of blocking the goalkeeper’s vision or due to interference), so the Al-Ahly player’s arm surrounded the Al-Ettifaq player and the rear camera should have been shown
So the problem is (human) and not (technical), and this may be the result of confusion) in responsibilities which left an impact on the benefit from video technology); because even the assistant referee (VAR) is assigned to a third-degree referee on scholarship (discovery) or a second-degree referee with little experience, and this is the result of overlapping specializations and responsibilities
In any case, we do not want to search in (the wheels), but we hope that the (most important) committee in the Football Association will avoid (the negatives), and see in purposeful criticism its way to correction, defend its referees and monitor their mistakes (for correction), and it only has the right to listen and examine (sir) the conversations of the refereeing team!!
