Orsato controversy proves VAR cannot work miracles

Italian referee Daniele Orsato stole some of the limelight from Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez during the World Cup semi-final after awarding a penalty to Argentina. Croatia were furious, even seeing former Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic sent off from the touchline, and pundits argued about the decision all over the globe. It was the perfect example of why VAR is a tool to help reduce blatant errors in the sport, but can never eradicate controversy, because this is a sport with so many subjective situations.

There was absolutely no shortage of footage when it came to Alvarez colliding with Dominik Livakovic. Everyone had a clear view of the dynamics of the incident, what each player was doing and how they came together. And yet still the experts of the game had wildly differing views on whether this warranted a penalty or not.

Both views have their validity, it’s true that Alvarez was looking for contact after flicking the ball beyond the goalkeeper’s reach, and that Livakovic had to come rushing out and couldn’t exactly disappear once he was there. Personally, I’d go for a penalty because quite simply one player got the ball and the other didn’t. It was a foot race, both took a big risk and it was winner takes all. Alvarez knew full well what he was doing and Livakovic knew full well what could happen if he failed to get the ball. Whatever decision Orsato took, someone was going to be furious.

This is an incident I think we can use as a teachable moment to explain why VAR is not the evil drain on the sport that some moaners continue to insist. Without VAR, we’d still be arguing over the same incident just as much, but adding ‘of course the referee only saw it in the moment’ and at normal speed.

I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people – especially pundits and commentators – are vocal in their disdain for the Video Assistant Referee. It takes a minute or so to check an offside call on a goal, surely that’s better than waiting four years for the World Cup and seeing your team go out on someone else’s mistake? I might be wrong here, but the introduction of the semi-automatic offside in this tournament hasn’t particularly sped up the process. We’ll see from January when it is brought in at Serie A level too if it makes much difference, but either way, I’m sure most fans would prefer to see the correct decision even if it means waiting around for 60 seconds or so.

The absolute worst are those who complain that VAR is ruining the sport because of tight offside calls disallowing goals. What they are in fact angry about are the rules of the game, not the technology being used to implement them consistently and accurately. If you feel that an offside of a couple of inches should not be enough to warrant ruling out a goal, then change the rules to create a buffer zone, a standard leeway that will give strikers the benefit of the doubt. Just don’t blame VAR for enforcing those same rules.

What I have learned during this World Cup is just how many professional pundits do not understand or never bothered to learn the protocol for VAR. British television has commentators paid to sit in those booths who don’t know that if the offside figure is interfering with play and does not touch the ball, it is a decision the referee has to make himself on the pitch-side monitor. That’s because it is a subjective decision – is he interfering with play? – rather than an objective one. This is basic stuff, people. Anyone who doesn’t already know that should have no place telling other people about the game.

I can’t help but feel ignorance is a large reason why so many Brits dislike VAR. On Italian television, you are constantly reminded of the protocol and the rules of the sport. Admittedly, the Italians love their controversy and microscopic dissection of refereeing decisions a bit too much, which leads to unwatchable programmes with old men shouting at each other and fans on social media seeing bias against/for anyone and everyone.

That’s the joy and trouble with football: we’ll always find something to disagree about.

@SusyCampanale