Is Technology Ruining Football?

Is Technology Ruining Football? Jason Collins’s Expert Personal Opinion

The Modern game of football now is the most viewed sport across the globe and it becomes etched into our souls. But why do we think Technology is ruining football?

Imagine being at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final packed to its full capacity and you’re celebrating the winning goal in the last minute of the game and it’s disallowed following a decision from VAR.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

VAR was first introduced in Australia’s A-League in April 2017 which was then adopted across the world and in the 2019/20 season of the English Premier League, it was first featured. 

It has been mostly used to monitor the matches for ‘clear and obvious errors or ‘serious missed incidents’ in four match-changing circumstances which are:-

  • Goals
  • Penalty decisions
  • Direct red card incidents
  • Mistaken identity

The final decision though is made by the referee. But have they got it right? Has the VAR got it right?, surely human error or a VAR error can be a fault.

It will never be 100 percent accurate.

For more clarity about VAR, read our guide here.

Accuracy

In my opinion, it will never be right. How can a center forward be offside when he’s in line with play?

But they scrutinize the smallest thing as an offside decision, be it being his finger pointing where to play the ball, his big toe, or a strand of his or her hair. It’s ridiculous.

All these make you want to ask again if technology is ruining football or not. That we have to stop and start every five minutes is appalling.

Football is the most simple and smooth game known to everyone which is why people all over the world love the sport.

Even the fans get confused most of the time. 

Your team scored a goal, but nowadays you can’t celebrate straight away because the referee has to check the stupid little video screen at the side of the pitch to check if it was legitimate or not. 

The players can’t run off and celebrate with their fans and teammates because they have to turn their heads to look at the referee to see if the goal stands. 

It’s taken that final breath out of the game.

Perfect Examples

I have a list as long as my arm with all decisions that have involved VAR which has ruled out a vital moment of the game or a goal. 

Just take a look at Japan vs Spain match in the World Cup 2022 in Qatar

A controversial goal was awarded to Japan when the ball looked to be out of play.  It definitely was, no doubt about it! But VAR ruled in their favor.

Goal line technology is just about accepted now, but even that was very controversial for a while.  

We look at it from every angle we can to see if the ball was over the line, the bottom line is, it’s black or white. It’s over the line or not?

So for that, there is a great need for goal-line technology in football, so many incidents we see on TV replays have shown the wrong decision. 

Where a ball has or has not crossed the line and the goal was given or not.  It’s worked on other sports such as rugby, cricket, and tennis and it seems to be working for football now, which has been accepted by fans.

But how much of the ball has to be over the line!?! This can go on forever and ever, as well as the VAR decisions. 

Was England’s third goal over the line against West Germany in the 1966 cup final? (it was!) Had Luis Garcia’s goal crossed the line in Liverpool Vs Chelsea’s 2005 Champions League semi-final? The list goes on and on.

Keep Football As football

We understand that time is moving on now and new technology has been introduced to improve the game, not just in football but in everyday life.

But this technology is ruining football and slowing the game down now. Football is a fast-paced game.

The decisions are meant to point out ‘clear and obvious errors’ and ‘serious missed incidents’ but they don’t. 

How many times have we seen an elbow to the face which has been missed by the referee or even VAR, yet play continues? 

Fans are chanting ‘It’s not football anymore 

When the game has been stopped or flagged by the linesman for offside or foul which the referee had not seen, fans are left oblivious to what is happening whilst the VAR check is going on. 

It’s back and forth, back and forth, it’s just ludicrous.  The poor referee just seems to be stuck in the middle. 

It’s like they do not want to be accountable for the controversial decision.

They’ve become less involved in the game to a point because VAR is meant to help. 

It doesn’t.

The flow of the game has been interrupted and it makes it more frustrating for the fans and the players. 

Video Assistant Referee has become a menace to the game but hopefully, in time it will improve and get better.

Why Fix It When It’s Not Broken?

There is one man in charge of a game of football and that is the referee, as much as intimidating he or she will find it with the number of spectators around them including the players and managers. 

It’s their decision that counts, the law of the game states that the referee’s in charge and so be it.

They didn’t have technology in those days and it worked, it always has. So why bring it into a game that’s already working as has been for years?

Further Reading:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *