I think it should just be based on feet and a whole foot. If you're front foot is a whole foot ahead you're offside. None of this arm/shoulder nonsense.
Robbed a trophy, killing the sport. More goals = more entertainment and that's being destroyed. I like VAR for decisions like the Maradonna handball but offsides that are that close need common sense. Pretty boring game and as soon as it got interesting it was taken away.
I hate Leicester. But sooner them than one of the Super League football-murderers. If their goal was actually onside, so much the better. VAR 1-0 Football Murderers.
I think it would be better for the game if VAR could only step in and reverse the decision if somebody was, say, a full head offside. Offside is offside, but by the same token if the ball is hitting the wicket in cricket then it's always hitting the wicket. However, unless it's full-ball we allow umpire's call. In both cases there are issues around cameras and technology and viewpoint, but in cricket the umpire retains the final decision in marginal cases. I think it would be better if on-field decisions were only overturned when there was a high degree of certainty about it. That's what ends up happening with the cricket laws, and nobody has an issue with losing a wicket on umpire's call, even if we all know what the decision should have been. I think cricket combines the on-field decision with the off-field technology really nicely, even though everybody really knows that if Hawkeye says that somebody is out they probably are.
If it's offside it's offside for me. Whatever the rule is should be adhered to, and if we don't like the rule (I agree by the way) then the rule should be changed. I don't think the cricket comparison is a good one. Offside is pretty black and white 99% of the time. The trajectory of the cricket ball on certain deliveries means you have to go Umpire's call. Also, with the state of the offside rule the assistant referees are almost discouraged from putting their flag up so you don't have an on the field decision to go to.
Yep. There's no thrill in sport quite like that feeling when you're in the stadium, nobody's kicked a ball for five minutes and it comes up on a giant telly that your opponents are having a goal chalked off (!) Football is best enjoyed live which means decisions need to be made live. History may show those decisions to be wrong but surely controversy is part of the game's appeal, no?
I'm chuffed for Leicester and their owner, a really emotional day for them, and to deny a boy band club like Chelsea it's even better. Chelsea will moan about offside, how ironic, they did us with a far dodgier goal.
I agree, I can’t imagine going crazy for a goal and then it being ruled out. Hopefully we do get to experience VAR next season in the league though. Not sure on the last part as all of the posts in this thread show that it’s still controversial surely?
Exactly my take on it. I don't watch football if VAR is to be used. It's not a sport I enjoy in any way. The crowd don't get to cheer a goal anymore, which, imho, renders the whole experience pointless. If we're promoted I'll have a decision to make. At present, I don't think I'll go. But at present we haven't been promoted. If we are, I guess I get to test my principles.
At one time there had to be two players between you and the goal otherwise you were offside, meaning that if you were level you were offside.
I hate that VAR tries to make an imperfect sport perfect. It’s the imperfections that make it the game it is. Trouble is VAR is also flawed. Is the technology good enough to know at what point the ball leaves a players foot? Then we get to the lines and officials interpretation. If it’s to get decisions right then it failed weekly, if it’s to increase excitement it fails weekly, I just don’t think the sport needs it. I would prefer adding 2nrefs like ice hockey and both have to agree on major decisions.
The controversy is different though. It (in theory at any rate) takes away incorrect decisions at the expense of breaking up the flow of the game. The controversy is to whether or not this improves the sport. Goal line technology improves the game. It is demonstrably not infallible. However, it is an AI solution makes live decisions consistently more accurately than relying on human eye. When a machine can make live calls on offside, handball, foul play etc etc more reliably than a linesman, bring it on. Until then, it's a no from me.
There's no point in players being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds per week, with hundreds of millions following their matches, for match officials to be responsible for the end result rather than the efforts of said players. If it's offside, for example, then VAR should give it. As far as this idea of being let down 5 minutes later when it's ruled out...well... I've been to many a game where we score and it's ecstasy .. and then you look at the flag waving linesman and it's chalked off. At least VAR gives you hope for a couple more minutes. I agree with the point about when the ball leaves the player's foot though. Nobody seems to give a toss about how accurate that is - it's a slide rule rush to judgement immediately at the "offside" far end of the pitch.