After the successful roll-out of semi-automated offside technology at the World Cup two months ago, we will again see it in action as the Champions League returns for the Round of 16 this week. Amid the chaos and confusion of two more contentious VAR calls caused by human error in the Premier League, it is clear this emerging tech is the only way forward.
Refereeing chief Howard Webb has summoned his band of culprits for a thorough review of the application of VAR, some of whom are down on Arsenal and Brighton’s ‘most wanted’ list after denying them potential victories over the weekend.
These are the latest in a spate of decisions that have been labelled as ‘human error’ by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), with a total of eight apologies being issued for different calls across the season so far.
John Brooks, who was at fault not for the first time this year, used the wrong defender to rule out a Brighton goal in their eventual 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and has been removed from his slated upcoming duties.
Meanwhile, Lee Mason, who supposedly forgot to draw the line for Ivan Toney’s equaliser against Arsenal, has been dropped from VAR duties for the upcoming game week.
Why The Premier League Must Adopt Semi-Automated Offside Technology
Taking into account all the scenarios where referees have been forced to apologise, Brighton would be two points better off in their hunt for European football, while Arsenal may well have been the beneficiaries of an extra 12 points if every debatable VAR call had swung in their favour.
The ’emergency meeting’ called in order to clarify how VAR should effectively operate is, on all accounts, fairly pointless.
The reason why problems persist lies in the human error aspect of their perpetual apology mill. This will always exist as long as humans apply their judgment to technology that is, in effect, controlled by humans.
The semi-automated system that proved to be hugely effective at the World Cup eliminates the need for a VAR official to draw a line. 12 tracking cameras (or 10 in the Champions League) are used to follow the position of the ball and player data points, including everything from knees and elbows to heads and feet.
The ‘semi’ part of the automated system requires VAR officials to validate the decision and relay the call to the referee on the pitch, but it effectively eliminates the chances of a video assistant ‘forgetting’ or incorrectly drawing the line.
In a 38-game season, there are potentially title-defining margins such as the two points Arsenal may have missed out on against Brentford, or in a more agonising scenario where they could end up in second-place on goal difference.
Until semi-automated tech of some kind is incorporated into Premier League officiating, the division will continue to be adversely affected by persistent human error. No formal approval is actually required for this tech to be implemented in a basic, stripped down form, but for the most affluent, most widely-viewed league in sport, this latest innovation needs to become a mainstay sooner rather than later.
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