budfox wrote:My suspicion on the handball is that it was shot on a camera that was not available to the broadcaster/VAR team, just one put in place by a photographer or a journalist. The technical quality isn't up to the broadcast footage, most likely because it was shot on a GoPro or similar, recording in super-slomo. Something like 200 frames per second I'd guess.
As to VAR, it's very easy to say it helps to deliver correct decisions, but it absolutely is killing the essence of the game and no fans should have to go through the ecstasy/agony we all suffered this week. I'd be more tolerant of it if the discussions were made freely available to all, just like in rugby, but as it stands it is a tool that can be used to influence the outcome of a game. Sour grapes? Well Spurs fans would say so, but there is absolutely no way that if Barca scored that goal it would have been reviewed.
Furthermore, if getting more decisions right is the justification for VAR, then it might be nice if the referees started following the laws to the letter as well. In every game you will see countless fouls in penalty area jostling not given, and the amount of dissent that goes unpunished is farcical. (Law 12, dissent by word or action is a yellow card offence). Then what about simulation? Salah should have picked up at least a dozen yellows this season for diving. Simulation is also a straight yellow.
So we have a VAR system that determined the outcome of a massive game, because someone was offside by a few inches for a split second, but countless other offences go by the wayside due to inconsistent refereeing and a reluctance to enforce the very clear laws of the game.
Excellent post pal .