Soccer, Futbal, Calcio, no matter what you call it, there is no doubt the sport is widely popular. The game has changed tremendously since its creation back in England 200 years ago. One thing that has taken the sport by storm is VAR or Video-Assistant-Referee. “Video assistance is a support mechanism for the match referee where a team of qualified referees are watching the game and can communicate with him via earpiece to suggest if certain “clear errors” and “missed key decisions” warrant a review” (Jonathan White). The VAR cannot be used by teams playing and only the center official can say he is going to look at the replay. VAR however, can only look at the replay in four scenarios; goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity.
The VAR is a very new medium and thus makes it controversial. According to the Indian Asian News Service, “The VAR system was used at the World Cup on over 440 occasions with 19 reviews in 62 matches.” “Percentages of correct calls have increased from 95% to 99.2 % and all 16 reviews of wrong calls have been corrected to the right call,” stated President of FIFA Gianni Infantino. The president goes on to add “when you check vocabulary and the word ‘progress’, progress means to make things better compared to the past. This is progress, this is better than the past.” We see a lot of new mediums because they want to make their communication better than the past. Gutenberg made the printing press and it definitely made life easier, now we have VAR in soccer and it is certain to make referee decisions more valid.
Soccer is a huge sport dominated not only by two teams and fans, but a large impact of the game has to do with the referee. During the final of the 2018 world cup, Croatia played against France and Croatian player Ivan Perisic was penalized for a handball in his own box and France scored the ensuing penalty kick. With 3.4 billion people watching the world cup (thesun.co.uk), you want to get every call right and the communication between center referee and The VAR is trying to help do so. However, in this case, they might have gotten it wrong.
Professional Referee Organization Board Member, Peter Walton, says “this is not a handball offense. The ball traveled a very short distance and the player did not do it intentionally” The goal gave France a very important lead right before halftime and ultimately helped them secure their world cup trophy.
VAR is the medium it is not the message. The message is the play that is being reviewed and it is communicated through VAR. The players, the referees, the spectators, all need to be informed of the play and VAR can be used to craft and influence viewer response. The VAR changes the way viewers look at the play and also provides excitement for what is to come next. Along with all of that, it is also a great way to help players receive the justice they are due, but even an instant replay needs to be taken in with context.
Ivan Perisic had “70 milliseconds” according to fcbblog.ch, to think while he was in mid-air to move his hand into the ball. You can look at the handball in slower time and think he meant it or you can look at real time and see he might not have had enough time to react. In conclusion, the VAR system is definitely modifying the communication in the game of soccer and thus effecting billions of lives. FIFA President Infantino believes it is for the “better”, but when you spend 9.8 billion pounds on a sporting event, you almost have to say things like that.
References
ESPN. “Ivan Perisic Penalty Decision: Did Referee Get World Cup Final Call ‘Shockingly’ Wrong? | ESPN FC.” YouTube, ESPN, 15 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRdDIrRcwio.
Fleming, Mark. “It Cost £9bn to Host, Half World’s Population Watch on TV.. but Only One Winner.” The Sun, The Sun, 16 July 2018, http://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6782884/world-cup-2018-final-in-numbers/.
Hayward, Paul. “’VAR Is Cleaning Football’: Fifa President Gianni Infantino Holds Court Ahead of World Cup Final.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 13 July 2018, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/07/13/var-cleaning-football-fifa-presidentgianni-infantino-holds-court/.
“Perisic Handball Real Time Only 70 Miliseconds.” YouTube, FCBBLOG.CH, 16 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KswbY1czU-g.
White, Jonathan. “What Is VAR and How Does It Work at the World Cup?” South China Morning Post, 19 June 2018, http://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2151501/fifa-world-cup-what-video-assistant-referee-var-how-does-it-work-and.
Robbie Pratka 