In October 2017, FIFA head Gianni Infantino said “We can’t imagine a World Cup in 2018 being decided by a referee’s error.” This was his justification for pushing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology through in time for the Russia 2018 World Cup. In the ninth minute of Melbourne Victory’s end-of-season clash with Newcastle Jets, Victory’s James Donachie headed the ball down to Kostas Barbarouses to score the only goal of the game. Replays showed Donachie to be offside when the ball was played, but the referee couldn’t consult the VAR because the system broke at the crucial moment. In soccer, referees who have VAR as an option are relying on it more and more. The deal with the VAR devil is that the atmosphere at the grounds and flow of the game has been compromised for more accurate refereeing.

Source: Forbes May 06, 2018 06:33 UTC