Mase wrote:If Sky can hear what is being said between VAR and the referee, then I’m sure VAR can hear what Sky are saying.
Not 'officially'. I'm guessing it's a one-way transmission.
HOWEVER, while there are all kinds of things in play to stop referees, linesmen, etc. being influenced by outside factors (no replays shown on big screens, etc.), the same can't be said for VAR. I honestly don't have enough confidence in the integrity of VAR to see it as 'fair' (without even considering that I feel it destroys the tempo of a game, ruins the atmosphere, and creates a technological chasm between top-tier football and the rest of the game). What's to stop someone in the VAR box listening to the radio, or catching a stream on their mobile.? The VAR room being empty for the Real Madrid v. Valladolid game also shows that they're not in a 'sealed environment', and obviously they're not exposed to the same level of public scrutiny as people out there on the pitch and sidelines in front of tens of thousands of spectators, and millions watching on TV.
Without the public being able to listen to what is being said, and, ideally, a chance to scrutinize the goings-on in the VAR room via some kind of 'live feed' (possibly by "Pressing the Red Button", if that's still a think on UK TV), literally anything could influence what's going on in there, which, in turn, could influence how the VAR officials act, which, in turn, could influence a) the other match officials, and b) the outcome of the game.
Edit: Just to add, the very fact that Sky (the company responsible for broadcasting) are privileged to a feed from the VAR room shows that transmissions from there to third parties are possible and within the scope of the rules. It seems that the only reason the public don't hear what's going on is either because Sky opts not to broadcast it, or because there's some kind of copyright/confidentiality rule regarding its broadcast, whereby Sky and the PL are able to share the transmission, but the viewing public/customers can't. I'd love to know which of these is the actual reason.