Mainz v Frieberg - VAR hits new low !!

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A penalty was awarded after players had already left the pitch for half-time in Mainz's Bundesliga win over relegation rivals Freiburg on Monday.
Referee Guido Winkmann called both sides back from the dressing room after consulting the video assistant referee (VAR) system and penalising Freiburg for handball.
Mainz midfielder Pablo de Blasis scored the penalty to put the hosts 1-0 up.
The second half was delayed by fans throwing toilet paper onto the pitch.
It was not related to the penalty decision but instead a protest against Bundesliga fixtures being played on Monday nights.
De Blasis scored a second on 78 minutes to secure victory, taking Mainz above Freiburg on goal difference and eight points clear of automatic relegation, while putting the visitors into the relegation play-off spot in 16th.
Mainz initially had the penalty appeal turned down after right-back Daniel Brosinski's cross deflected off Freiburg centre-back Marc-Oliver Kempf's hand and was saved by keeper Alexander Schwolow.
As the players departed the pitch, Winkmann was told to consult VAR and ran over to the other side of the pitch to watch the replay on a monitor.
Winkmann overturned the decision and awarded the hosts a penalty before having to recall the entire Freiburg side and the handful of Mainz players who had left the pitch.
Following a delay of over six minutes De Blasis scored the penalty in the bottom left corner and Winkmann blew again for half-time, during which the unfortunate Kempf was substituted.
De Blasis added a lucky second as his shot rolled over the line after hitting the inside of the post, with Schwolow out of his goal having passed the ball straight to Mainz midfielder Robin Quaison.
 
A penalty was awarded after players had already left the pitch for half-time in Mainz's Bundesliga win over relegation rivals Freiburg on Monday.
Referee Guido Winkmann called both sides back from the dressing room after consulting the video assistant referee (VAR) system and penalising Freiburg for handball.
Mainz midfielder Pablo de Blasis scored the penalty to put the hosts 1-0 up.
The second half was delayed by fans throwing toilet paper onto the pitch.
It was not related to the penalty decision but instead a protest against Bundesliga fixtures being played on Monday nights.
De Blasis scored a second on 78 minutes to secure victory, taking Mainz above Freiburg on goal difference and eight points clear of automatic relegation, while putting the visitors into the relegation play-off spot in 16th.
Mainz initially had the penalty appeal turned down after right-back Daniel Brosinski's cross deflected off Freiburg centre-back Marc-Oliver Kempf's hand and was saved by keeper Alexander Schwolow.
As the players departed the pitch, Winkmann was told to consult VAR and ran over to the other side of the pitch to watch the replay on a monitor.
Winkmann overturned the decision and awarded the hosts a penalty before having to recall the entire Freiburg side and the handful of Mainz players who had left the pitch.
Following a delay of over six minutes De Blasis scored the penalty in the bottom left corner and Winkmann blew again for half-time, during which the unfortunate Kempf was substituted.
De Blasis added a lucky second as his shot rolled over the line after hitting the inside of the post, with Schwolow out of his goal having passed the ball straight to Mainz midfielder Robin Quaison.

Scheiße
 
Until the scope of VAR can be clarified, it will continue to have errors. This example is one of many where the system looks broken because it takes so long to get a decision made. Is it there to find mistakes or there to impact games?
 
It was a clear handball though, so an obvious error not to award the penalty in the first place. Isn't this what VAR is for, to correct obvious errors?

The fact that it was half time was slightly unfortunate and imo it would have been better if they had taken the pen at the start of the second half (after notifying both teams AND the fans).
 
Why not have this like cricket and tennis, where teams have 2-3 reviews to use.
 
The refs just need to suck it up if they've missed a call and trust an assistant to make the VAR decision. It takes far too long waiting for the referee to run over to a screen and watch it back for 5 minutes. Absolute bore fest for supporters!

Assistant makes the call, tells the ref and decision is instantly reversed. Refs need to hand over some responsibility to make VAR work.
 
Why not have this like cricket and tennis, where teams have 2-3 reviews to use.

Cricket and tennis both have natural stoppages to their games. The ball goes dead in some capacity in both and it gives the teams or players to review it. There’s little doubt that Hawkeye and DRS have improved both sports.

Football, however, is a different beast. As fans, we crow about every decision that goes against us because we’re partisan. Do we want the players following suit and contesting every throw in, free kick and corner? The small errors that officials make, whilst frustrating to the spectator, do result in the game continue to be played at a decent pace.

Football does need a better system to avoid clangers in game-changing incidents. Personally, I’d allow the on-field referee full control to make decisions and only when they have made a formal decision in a game changing incident does it get referred to VAR. The only two events that these would be used for are red cards and awarded penalties. After each of these events, there is a natural and lengthier stop in play whilst the teams line up for the penalty and/or wait for the red-carded player to leave the field. This time can be used for the VAR to do its work and determine whether the on-field ref has made the right decision. If so, carry on. If not, reverse the decision. There shouldn’t be stoppages for yellow cards, disputed offsides, fouls or penalty claims, no matter how credible they may be, as only awarded penalties will be subject to VAR.

The problem is that VAR is still being viewed as a panacea for all wrong decisions. To correct all of them would create an absolute mess of a football game – a stop-start horror show akin to American football.
 
Cricket and tennis both have natural stoppages to their games. The ball goes dead in some capacity in both and it gives the teams or players to review it. There’s little doubt that Hawkeye and DRS have improved both sports.

Football, however, is a different beast. As fans, we crow about every decision that goes against us because we’re partisan. Do we want the players following suit and contesting every throw in, free kick and corner? The small errors that officials make, whilst frustrating to the spectator, do result in the game continue to be played at a decent pace.

Football does need a better system to avoid clangers in game-changing incidents. Personally, I’d allow the on-field referee full control to make decisions and only when they have made a formal decision in a game changing incident does it get referred to VAR. The only two events that these would be used for are red cards and awarded penalties. After each of these events, there is a natural and lengthier stop in play whilst the teams line up for the penalty and/or wait for the red-carded player to leave the field. This time can be used for the VAR to do its work and determine whether the on-field ref has made the right decision. If so, carry on. If not, reverse the decision. There shouldn’t be stoppages for yellow cards, disputed offsides, fouls or penalty claims, no matter how credible they may be, as only awarded penalties will be subject to VAR.

The problem is that VAR is still being viewed as a panacea for all wrong decisions. To correct all of them would create an absolute mess of a football game – a stop-start horror show akin to American football.

This would probably mean more questionable penalty decisions given than at present (so more time wasted), because the ref won't want to miss any possible penalty decision, and if he has called it incorrectly it can be reversed.
 
If the players weren't such cheats, VAR would be a more marginal case to use...
 
The problem is not VAR in its very essence...if a goal is offside or the ball has crossed the line then technology will most certainly eliminate errors. However, the incident above is a prime example of how the system is losing friends.

Another one on Saturday between Hertha and Gladbach. Tussle in the box, contact with the attackers knee as the defender comes across. Ref blows for a penalty. Then, without asking for it, he receives word from the VAR that it wasn't a penalty, so he changes his decision. Then he goes (immediately) BACK to a TV on the side of the pitch, sees the contact (to confirm what he saw, you assume and what the VAR DID NOT see) and changes his decision BACK to a penalty. And all this took a good five minutes for a decision that was right to start with (not even corrected).
 
The refs just need to suck it up if they've missed a call and trust an assistant to make the VAR decision. It takes far too long waiting for the referee to run over to a screen and watch it back for 5 minutes. Absolute bore fest for supporters!

Assistant makes the call, tells the ref and decision is instantly reversed. Refs need to hand over some responsibility to make VAR work.
Good idea @WuTang but how many (substandard) referees have you personally witnessed overruling their (so called) Assistant referees
EFL level and above referees and other officials SHOULD (imo) be full-time employees of the FA...at least there may be a degree of consistency in how matches are officiated IF EFL level and above match officials were fully professional
 
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