VAR Syndrome

"Var Syndrome.  It suddenly destabilizes people's minds and reduces them to a violent mob.  People grew to fear these tragic events, which could happen anywhere and anytime.  However, amongst the fear, some rose up valiantly to fight back." -- Macross Delta, Episode 1, Prologue.

Who would have thought that one of the coolest Japanese anime (with great transforming mecha action and awesome songs by Walküre (listen!)) would have a reference so appropriate for what the Women's World Cup (WWC) is experiencing.  In the show, Vár Syndrome is a fold bacteria that affects the host at a cellular level usually causing the host to be uncontrollable and becoming super powerful, overriding common sense.  In the WWC, VAR Syndrome is a video assistant review process that affects matches at a minute level usually causing the matches to be uncontrollable and becoming super powerful, overriding common sense.  In both of these interpretations, VAR has taken a life of its own once allowed to germinate.  And in both of these interpretations, people start to fight back and take away the power of the VAR, starting with all the critics of VAR or the English Premier League neutering VAR by modifying when it will get used.

In 44 matches thus far, depending on how you count a "VAR review", I list 38 stoppages of play have happened because either VAR has contacted the referee or the referee has asked VAR to review a play.  I've heard on FOX 33 VAR reviews after ESPvUSA (I had 36) and 17 from FIFA press release after group stage (I had 23).  The FIFA app lists 30 specifically called out via VAR icon (18 after group stage).  Today's presser talked about 29 (25 being reversed).  Most of these last 1-3 minutes with some taking more than 8 minutes from infraction to the finish (e.g., PK scored).  This has resulted in 5-8 minutes of stoppage time in some matches.  By my count, at least 21 of the 44 matches had no real VAR review (maybe a VAR "check" but not a long stoppage of play) but boy, the ones that did...
You can read all about the negatives of VAR doing any Google search from that it was put into the WWC at the last minute because hey the men's WC had it last year why not the women, and thus refs, coaches, and players were not prepared for the impacts.  That the letter of the law is ruining the spirit of the law.  That the refs are deferring to VAR rather than reffing the match and the refs are not of great quality to begin with to handle this responsibility and maybe some male refs should be used.  That the new one GK foot on the line during PKs was only official June 1 and why was the WWC, a major tournament, the guinea pig for this experiment.  That VAR is ruining the flow of the match and reviews take much too long for "clear and obvious errors".

So maybe because the USA hasn't suffered from a "bad" VAR decision yet, I still hold a positive view of VAR :-)  Here is why VAR is "tolerable" right now.

1. The offsides calls have been consistent.  I was shocked in the first match that the lines drawn were just a few inches apart and that while technically offsides, it's so close as to why bother.  Once accepting this "truth", nearly all, if not all calls, have been technically called offsides if you are an inch offside in a consistent matter.  No favoritism.  Also, the GK with no feet on the line on a PK has also been called consistently.  Of the 4 other PK misses, I have not seen a shot where the GK had both feet off the line.  Right or wrong, if you're consistent, so be it.
2. Studs to an attacker body is a no-no and have been consistent.  Except for the last play in the CMR-ENG match where the player should have been red-carded but spared by the ref to just end the match, nearly all, if not all VAR reviews have resulted in a penalty kick if you whiff on the ball and hit the attacker in the box.  It's a strong message to defenders, and again, no favoritism here.
3. Close offsides are allowed to continue with the side ref only putting her flag up after the sequence of events.  This is good since you can always take away a goal but you can never give the attacking team back the advantage they had if the side ref incorrectly rules offsides.  (Obvious offsides where play is allowed to continue are covered in the improvement section!).
4. Flexible.  FIFA requested and was granted a temporary exemption that GKs coming off the line during penalty kicks during a penalty shootout (PSO) won't result in an automatic yellow card anymore.  And a good decision because they didn't change the rule during normal or extra time, which is the same as the group stage (since there is no PSO).  It would have been bad to have that exemption during normal time as JAM, SCO, and NGA have already been punished during the group stage.  
5. Only 52% of matches have had at least one VAR review.  It just feels like it's every match.  But then you get 4 in the ENGvCMR match or double VARs for the PK and then GK off her line (3 times).  The last 2 matches have had none even though there were 5 goals and a PK awarded.

Okay, only 5 positives.  But pretty important ones.  The one thing that would make VAR worse is if it was applied inconsistently, i.e., the same play resulting in two different VAR interpretations.  It's funny watching FOX because the commentators have been wrong a lot on what VAR would say but their rules expert has been pretty spot on every time.  If it's a left heel that is offsides then it's the offsides regardless if you are CMR, FRA, or the Pope.  And that's been true (so far).

As for changes I would like to see (not for this WWC to be fair):

1. Since we're so "accurate" with drawing the offside lines, let's put the spirit of the law back into play and make those lines 6 inches wide each.  If the blue and red lines overlap to make purple, then it's too close to call and there is no offsides.  Tie goes to the runner, or in this case, the attacking team.
2. If there is daylight between the players involved in offsides and the offending player is in the play, then raise the flag immediately like normal.  The exception would be a delay to make sure the player is or isn't involved in the play (in an offside position but not involved in the play).  The reason is so that we don't have the situation like the SWE-CAN match where the offsides was not called yet and then the CAN player nearly took the legs off the SWE player but it was not called because of the offsides.  In this case, it was very close, but side refs have to rely on their experience and raise the flag to prevent potential injuries.
3. Hand signals by the ref early on to indicate what VAR is looking at (handball? offensive foul? defensive foul? offsides? red card? the rare mistaken identity?).  It's nice to draw a "box" to show VAR is reviewing a play but the fans and audience sometimes have no idea what VAR is looking at.  It's also embarrassing for the announcers as they won't know what to analyze during the long delay.  

The on field ref is supposed to be the final arbiter of the match.  Let her ref the match.  Every goal and every collision in the box should be looked by VAR independently without notifying the ref (don't distract her).  Just to be consistent, after every goal, the ref should use the hand signal for a check of offsides and after every offsides nullifying a goal, the ref should use the hand signal for a check of no offsides (again, if it is obvious offsides, raise the flag immediately so you're not in this situation).  Both should be quick and players should now be expecting this and should not take more than 10 seconds (most celebrations and goal kicks take longer than this anyway) before an "official VAR review" is called.  Keep the flow of play going.

The biggest issue has been institutionally.  To put VAR as part of this WWC a few months before changes how you approach the match.  For players to know that every close play can be scrutinized or reviewed by VAR means tackles have to be done differently, offside traps have to be done differently, your hands in the box have to be placed differently so you're not called for a handball, GKs have to approach PKs differently, etc.   There was no time to adjust and for a sport that is trying to develop in a lot of countries, the resources and referees are lagging so behind to give a fair interpretation of how VAR would work.

Yes, tackling a player with studs up is wrong but sometimes if you touch the ball first, the ref will waive it off.  Not with VAR.  Yes, a ball hitting a hand slightly away from your body is a handball but sometimes if the kick is so close or if there was no time for a reaction, the ref will waive it off.  Not with VAR.  Yes, if your foot is on the other side of a defending player's foot you are offsides but sometimes the side ref will not raise the flag if visually it looked onside.  Not with VAR.  Yes, coming off the GK line is an infraction but if you're jumping around and are slightly off, the ref will allow it.  Not with VAR.

So it's unfortunate such an immature system without proper training was instituted at the greatest women's stage of them all but FIFA is used to embarrassment as long as the money continues to flow in.  Let's hope the last 8 matches go more smoothly.  Major League Baseball still has their issues with instant replay in its 6th year, again centering around the letter of the law vs the spirit of the law.  And boy, can't wait to see the NFL use instant replay on judgement pass interference plays for the first time this fall.  Fun times ahead!

VAR (-Reversal(Taken Away), +Reversal(Added), =Confirmed, xNo Call): 38 [1-FRA xOff+{g-} 27', 4-ESP xPK= 66', 4-ESP xPK+ 81', 5-ITA Off={xg} 9', 5-ITA xPK= 67', 5-ITA Off={xg} 81', 6-BRA PK= 37', 7-ENG xPK+ 12', 13-FRA xPK+ 70', 14-NGA xHB={g} 29', 17-AUS xPK= 21', 17-AUS Off-{g+} 66', 18-JAM xGK+{retake PK} 11', 19-ENG xPK+ 27', 23-USA xPK+ 79', 24-SWE xPK+ 90'+3, 25-FRA xPK+ 73', 25-NGA xGK+{retake PK} 76', 32-ARG xPK+ 86', 32-SCO xGK+{retake PK} 90'+2, 33-CAN PK- 1', 35-USA xOff={g} 50', 36-CHI xPK+ 83' | 37-AUS PK- 42', 37-AUS xPK= 88', 37-AUS RC= 104', 38-GER xOff={g} 20', 38-GER xPK+ 25', 39-ENG Off-{g+} 45'+4, 39-CMR xOff+{g-} 48', 39-ENG xPK= 76', 39-CMR RC-{Y} 90'+8, 40-FRA xF+{g-} 23', 40-BRA Off-{g+} 63', 40-BRA Off={xg} 87', 41-USA PK= 71', 42-CAN xPK+ 66', 42-SWE xOff+{PK-} 81']...

Blue means not specifically called out in "Live Events" tab of FIFA App. Example:  xOff+{g-} means no offsides was called resulting in a goal but VAR reversed and added the offsides which then took away the goal.
Example:  xOff+{PK-} means no offsides was called and a PK was awarded but VAR reversed and added offsides which negated PK.
Example:  xOff={g} means no offsides was called and VAR confirmed it and the goal stood.
Example:  Off={xg} means offsides was called negating the goal and VAR confirmed it so no goal.
Example:  Off-{g+} means offsides was called negating the goal but VAR reversed and took away the offsides which meant the goal can be added.
Example:  xHB={g} means no offensive handball was called and VAR confirmed it and the goal stood.
Example:  xF+{g-} means no offensive foul was called but VAR reversed and added foul which took away the goal.
Example:  xPK+ means no PK was called but VAR reversed and ruled defensive foul and thus PK was added.
Example:  xPK= means no PK was called and VAR confirmed it.
Example:  PK= means a PK was called and VAR confirmed it.
Example:  PK- means a PK was called but VAR reversed and ruled no defensive foul and took away PK.
Example:  xGK+{retake PK} means no GK violation on PK but VAR reversed and added the infraction (and yellow card) and the PK was to be retaken.
Example:  RC= means red card was issued and VAR confirmed it.
Example:  RC-{Y} means intention is to issue red card but VAR reversed and issued a yellow card instead.