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       #Post#: 102093--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Juventus vs Galatasaray - Joăo Pinheiro POR (VAR - Tomasz
       Kwiatkowski POL)
   DIR By: rustyref
       Date: February 28, 2026, 4:24 am
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       --- Quote from: ajb95 link ---
       >
       > [quote author=TA_Ref link=topic=7756.msg102031#msg102031
       date=1772127944]
       > [quote author=Ashington46 link=topic=7756.msg102025#msg102025
       date=1772123262]
       > I agree with Nemesis ---the game really has gone at the
       'elite' level.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Off topic as well but I have to ask a question…
       Why is the game ‘gone’ at the elite level?
       Is because of referees? Is it the implementation of VAR? Is it
       the playacting of players and managers to an extent? There are
       many question as to why but let’s remind ourselves of something.
       Why was VAR introduced? It was because the fans, the players,
       the managers and the boards all wanted it because to put it
       simply, they didn’t trust the referees at the time. Howard Webb
       openly says that they’re in dialogue with clubs all the time. Is
       there anything they want to change? Is there a rule that needs
       adapting? That’s why there are different interpretations of
       things all around the world. Referees are there to do a job.
       They’re there to protect the players and enforce the rules. We
       don’t know whether Joao Pinheiro actually wanted to give the
       foul and yellow card. All we know is he enforced the laws that
       he is told to enforce. I recall a certain quote by Wayne Barnes
       “It might be a bad law but it’s the law”. That sentence could be
       applied to many laws in football.
       The game is not “gone” because a referee gave a red card for an
       incident. The game is gone because of the antics of players and
       managers who are demanding change on a seasonal basis which
       makes it impossible for any level of consistency.
       I refuse to believe the game is gone because of a decision made
       by a referee who is there to uphold the laws of the game.
       [/quote]
       I don't think fans did want it. Not the majority I have spoken
       to anyway. It was a gimmick pushed by media, pundits and
       administrators taking further control from normal football
       match-goers
       [/quote]
       They absolutely did want it, the vast majority anyway, because
       it was mistakenly believed it would be this utopia that would
       take all controversy out of football.  Now the majority don't
       want it, but as soon as their team got done over by a dodgy
       decision they'd be demanding it back.
       #Post#: 102097--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Juventus vs Galatasaray - Joăo Pinheiro POR (VAR - Tomasz
       Kwiatkowski POL)
   DIR By: Leggy
       Date: February 28, 2026, 5:56 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The introduction of technology to assist in matters of fact
       (ball over the goal-line; offside position; location of foul
       tackle, etc) is helpful because it is objective.
       The use of technology in matters of opinion has proved unhelpful
       for two reasons:
       1. The truth is that players, managers and fans mostly want
       referees to give decisions in favour of their team, regardless
       of what is actually correct.  When on-field referees failed to
       do this to their satisfaction there was the niave belief that
       VAR would do it for them.  Of course it did not do this because
       it surplanted the subjective opinion of the on-field referee
       with the subjective opinion of those in the VAR booth.  Fans now
       want VAR to do for them what they wanted on-field referees to
       previously do for them - and complain loudly when they do not.
       The discontent has moved but not disappeared.
       2. In a vain attempt to turn the subjective into the objective
       more and more complications have been added - both to the Laws
       themlelves and to the explanations that (allegedly) support
       them.  "If only we can precisely define handball / offside then
       all arguments will cease and the game will run without
       controversay".  It turns out that the verbal gymnastics that we
       no engage in to explain / justify decisions is not helping
       either.
       The solution (not that it will happen as the genie is weel and
       truly out of the bottle) is to limit technology to matters of
       fact and leave matters of opinion to the on field referee.
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