Drawing the Line

Final thoughts on the VAR debacle.

Assistanrt: ‘First positions, everybody.’

Director: ‘Camera ready?’

Camera operator: ‘Camera ready.’

Director: Sound ready?’

Recordist: ‘Sound ready.’

Assistant: ‘OK everyone, quiet on set.’

Director: ‘Turn over.’

Camera operator: ‘Camera running.’

Assistant: ‘Scene 35, Take 1.’

Director: ‘And . .  Action!’

That’s a very loose description of how a film or video production starts the filming of each scene, the precise words and role descriptions varying, depending on type and scale of the production, and established in advance,.

What you don’t do is start filming without having clear verbal confirmation of each stage. Imagine the one chance of capturing a house conflagration or a staged car crash and the camera operator was looking the other way!

It’s probably the same for emergency services and complex technical operations. Defined, precise courses of action. The consequences are too serious to proceed without knowing everything is set, everyone is prepared and clear what everyone else is doing. No ambiguity. What you don’t do is mumble some vague and non-specific statements about state of readiness that no one understands.

Which is what makes the conversation at White Hart Lane between the referee and VAR inexplicable. Had there been a proper protocol, the mistake could not have happened. Perhaps,

Referee: ‘Offside.’

VAR: ‘Wait. Checking.’

Referee: ‘Waiting.’

VAR: ‘Still checking.’

Referee, ‘Still waiting.’

VAR: ‘Goal. Check over. It’s a goal. Confirm.‘

Regeree: ‘Confirm, goal.’

VAR: ‘Free to restart. 1-0 Liverpool.’

Single word checks, repeated. There would be no doubt – which is essential in the heat of the moment. If that were either implemented (or if there is one, enforced), there would be no need for ideas like the ability to go back after a restart. If the Premier League in on that, when could you ever celebrate a goal, or feel relieved that an opponent’s goal was offside? Imagine – the game could be flowing again, even celebrating another goal . . . and then be pulled back.  Remember that game when we scored two goals in as many minutes against Spurs? It’s too horrendous a potential rule change to even contemplate.

The chip in the ball might help. Apparently it gives better offside information, used in the World Cup but rejected by the Premier clubs. But a routine of simple and clear steps would sort it. It works in the real world.

And as for replaying, let’s rerun the 50^th game at Old Trafford and all the games after . . . .