VAR, referees and the rules are all inadequate – and it won’t change under the current regime.

“The referee today has far too many rules, regulations and legislations to adhere to. I think that causes confusion. There’s been changes throughout this season. Referees can’t referee without a clear mind, and they’re not allowed to have one with all of these changes.”

Those, the words of Sam Allardyce in his post-match press conference. His West Brom side had somehow held on to a 1-0 win over Brighton, who’d missed two penalties, and were denied a goal after it had already been overturned.

Allardyce is often one to go against the general grain, and he once again swam against football’s general consensus – the usual ‘English referees are bad’ take which gets likes on Twitter, and applause from ‘yer da’.

“The level of refereeing in the PL compared to the rest of Europe is actually embarrassing”

— Abigail (@rudkin_abigail) February 27, 2021

There has to be some truth in the thought – otherwise why would we all think it? We have evidence in front of our eyes to prove how poor referees have been this season.

But is there more to it than that? Has there been a budge in the psychological balance which a referee simply can not stabilise?

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Where did it all begin? You could say that referees have been controversial ever since they first donned the black gear and blew a whistle, back in Eton College in 1845, or their promotion to their prominent role in 1891.

But in the modern era, the stem on this particular branch began in 2018, and the introduction of VAR to English football. The official Premier League site reads:

On 3 March 2018, IFAB agreed to allow the use of VARs.  In November 2018, the Premier League clubs voted unanimously to introduce VAR in season 2019/20, pending testing.

The League and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which officiates Premier League matches, undertook extensive testing during the 2018/19 season in live matches, while the League also observed VAR in action in FA Cup and EFL Cup ties.

The testing was deemed a success, confirming the introduction of VAR for 2019/20.

And being frank, we all thought that the blanket term ‘video assistant referee’ would solve all issues with refereeing in this country.I t would ensure fairness by taking context and subjectivity out of decisions.

We were foolish as fans to believe this would bring anything but a haemorrhage of problems. Football is a game of opinion and context.

Contrary to it’s name, VAR is human. There’s a referee behind it, with subjectivity, context and personal opinion exploring their subconscious. Impartiality in situations with such gravitas, like a Premier League game, is impossible.

With this human deployment behind a few cameras in Stockley Park comes a second opportunity for human error despite the ‘Video’ pseudonym. Therefore double the chance that a human error would be made, despite the second being perceived as more considered.

I spoke to former assistant referee Glenn Turner – who notably quit in 2012 after a row with PGMOL chief Mike Riley – about the current state of refereeing in 2021. Turner was recognised as one of England’s best assistant referees, working at the 2006 World Cup, the 2004 European Championships and dozens of Premier League matches. Embed from Getty Images

“The principle behind VAR was supposed to be to aide referees and remove the clear and obvious errors which have plagued football for far too long. The problems in England are not those of VAR, rather the interpretation of it by our referees, moreover their Manager. VAR as a system works well. We have seen that in other countries.”

The use of VAR in the likes of the Bundesliga, MLS and the A-League is more efficient. Particularly the latter – in which referees have even been mic’d up in order to portray clarity and transparency to players and fans alike.

This is one of the main issues that everyone is finding at the moment.

Your weekly reminder that the Australian A League is doing a better job with VAR than the English ‘greatest league in the world’s Premier League.

Accountability, transparency and competency. What a concept. pic.twitter.com/8wLjgrzJSL — Outsiders (@Outsiders_Footy) February 27, 2021

The flipside is that rules are being interpreted in different ways, seemingly every week on public opinion. Take the interpretation of the handball law for example.

Earlier on in the season it was ruled that if it hit your hand in the area, it would be given as a penalty – circa Joe Gomez at the Etihad Stadium. It moved on, after outrage, to the ‘natural position’ debacle. It’s all subjective to someone’s opinion – that of two referees, on and off the field.

“The rules of VAR are clearly defined , and there for everyone to see in The Laws of The Game. I repeat, VAR works very well in many other countries. Sadly there is an arrogance within the management of football in England which dictates ‘We know best’, when clearly they do not.”

The PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) is responsible for improving refereeing standards, development and training, ran by former Premier League referee Mike Riley.

In the last few years, controversies list the dismissal of Bobby Madley not including his discriminatory behaviour, the specific interpretation of the Handball law not approved by FIFA, and Turner’s case himself.

So what part have they played in the increased errors and scrutiny on referees? They’ve actually played a big part in enhancing the scrutiny with some very odd acts of protection, in particular the clap for referees campaign.

How can any well-browed organisation seriously believe that a passionate fan, who has potentially been denied (fairly or unfairly) a victory, should applaud the man who caused it? That’s like asking a customer to applaud a plumber who’s at fault for a pipe bursting.

Yes, we all know the mental toll that referees can suffer from supporters, with abuse reaching unacceptable levels. Do they deserve it, for trying their best? No.

But what they and the fans criticising them do deserve is quality control.

“We all knew that we were expected to deliver. If we failed to do so then we all understood sanctions may follow – including being rested for a while to allow time to re-focus, a drop down the pyramid system to officiate on a lower league to take the individual out of the spotlight, or ultimately dismissal if no improvement was evident.

“We had Coaches who would regularly meet with us to talk through positive and negative performances, and regular meetings as a group where match incidents would be shown and (if you were the official involved) you had to stand up and explain to your colleagues how you reached a particular decision.”

It does state on the official Premier League website that the above still happens, but in the pandemic, has it seen a lapse in concentration and focus for referees.

In June, we resumed Premier League football behind closed doors – and it is a different experience to that of playing in front of a packed crowd every week. During this time we’ve seen an increase in individual errors, more goals scored/conceded, and a general feel that football simply isn’t the same, despite it probably meaning more to clubs financially during this time to win matches.

Referees have also been affected by the pandemic – we can’t forget it. Families, livelihoods, potentially in the drain, but they need to remain without weakness at all times when doing their job.

It’s not been talked about how it potentially affects their cognitive performance when refereeing in front of no crowds, having been so used to refereeing with thousands present. Is there less of a pressure to perform? Is the quality not being demanded by the insistent spectators?

“Referees appear to be taking it easy. They look less focussed and driven. I’m missing those sprints from one penalty area to the other in the 90th minute as I believe they have stopped bothering due to both a lack of crowd pressure and safety in the knowledge that even if they fail badly nothing will be done.”

Here’s the balance we find ourselves in. Referees are human beings. But the fact that they are being treated so harshly in the public eye with limited consequences is not cathartic.

For example, Lee Mason hasn’t been reprimanded in the public eye to show that there is a quality check, especially after the farcical decisions made on Saturday at The Hawthorns. It’s all feigned as either ‘injury’ or ‘taking a break’.

They should be publicly telling us what is actually happening to these referees, but it all feels shrouded in secrecy. Clarity and transparency in all exchanges between supporters and the PGMOL, FA and other organisations is key. The likelihood of this happening? Miniscule, and somewhat idealistic. Presenting these issues in our game comes at a cost. There is no solution under the current regime. We have to accept that the English game has fallen behind European, and to an extent world football in it’s officiating standards – from the governing bodies, to the referees themselves, to us, the supporters, in how the ecosystem is divided.

Unless they begin to learn from their own mistakes, nothing will improve. We will continue the endless cycle of inconsistency, despair and repeat. The court of public opinion is fast-moving, forgettable and now, for football, it can’t afford to be.  

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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