It was said that the players had to be apart when playing to minimise the risk of spreading the virus even though all players and staff and been tested beforehand.
VAR was also a main talking point as it was decided that the bundesliga would carry on using the technology despite the fact they didn’t have to.
It wasn’t long before it was making headlines again when Augsburg had a goal disallowed in there 2-1 loss to Wolfsburg.
Bayern Munich’s game against Union Berlin also had its share of video refereeing controversy.
Bayern’s Thomas muller nudged in Leon Goretzka flick on however the german was adjudged to be just offside.
One twitter user said this on the matter:
VAR delays are even more odd when there’s no crowd and the players are just stood in absolute silence for 2 minutes while they wait for the decision. #bundesliga
Today football lawmakers IFAB (International Football Association Board) have announced that making five substitutions will be permitted when football returns.
This rule change has been made so that the return to competitive football is made easier on the players after not playing football for months due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
IFAB also added so this new rule isn’t used to waste time, teams will still only have three opportunities to make the substitutions.
In a statement released earlier today IFAB said:”For competitions which have either started or are intended to start, but are scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2020, the IFAB has approved FIFA’s proposal to introduce a temporary amendment to Law 3 – The Players, which will allow for a maximum of five substitutes to be made per team. However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions; substitutions may also be made at half-time.”
They also added:”The temporary amendment comes into force with immediate effect, and has been made as matches may be played in a condensed period in different weather conditions, both of which could have impacts on player welfare.
The decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment will remain at the discretion of each individual competition organiser, while The IFAB and FIFA will determine at a later stage whether this temporary amendment would need to be extended further (e.g. for competitions due to be completed in 2021).”
It is still not known which competitions will enforce this new rule,however it is likely to be welcomed by most players having not played for at least two months.
Leagues around the world have also been given the permission to drop the use of VAR if necessary.
The Premier league will hold talks in the coming days with its clubs to discuss wether these rule changes will be implemented.
Football is set to return in the Bundesliga later this month after the German government gave the go ahead in an announcement earlier today.
Players of Bundesliga clubs have now been back in training since the first week in april in preperation for the return of football.
Matches will have to be played behind closed doors although it is a step in the right direction for the country which has had over 6000 deaths as a result of the outbreak.
Bayern Munich currently hold the Bundesliga title
In a an announcement earlier today Minister President of Bavaria, Markus Soder, accepts the decision to resume will be see as controversial.
“We have agreed sensibly. We know that it is very controversial,” he added.
“I know that those responsible in the clubs will do everything possible to comply with the regulations. But the players must also adhere to it.”
The Bundesliga’s General Assembly will be held in Frankfurt on Thursday to discuss the health and safety protocol to ensure the league’s safe return. They are expected to decide on the start date and match calendar in that meeting.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that players and staff will not have to isolate for 14 days due to clubs having a large capacity to test for the virus.
Most teams have 9 league games remaining including leaders Bayern Munich who have a four point advantage over rival Dortmund.
It is not yet known when football will be aloud to return in the UK with the government still yet to set out plans to ease the current lockdown.
One of this seasons main talking points in the Premier League has been the use or misuse of VAR.
Fans from around the country have voiced their opinions on social media, wether it’s positive or negative, people have a lot to say on the matter.
As a result of the current coronavirus pandemic, social media has been full and it hasn’t stopped people from having their say on what should and shouldn’t be happening with the technology.
We at the VAR effect decided to ask the question of how fans really feel about it and what improvements could be made in the future as well as other things.
Click on the video below to see how one fan feels about the technology and probably many others.
The video goes to show no matter if you support someone in one of the lower leagues of English football or the very top one, you can still have an opinion of VAR.
Phil the Sheffield Wednesday fan felt that we should be persistent with VAR although it does require changes if it is to be a permeant feature in the Premier League.
Its not just Phil who feels that VAR needs improvement or even scrapping all together.
Thousands of people on twitter voice their concerns with how the technology is used, such as Paul Butler who believes it should be done away with completely.
Hey @premierleague when you void the season later this week how about binning off VAR & we can forget it ever happened & all go back to enjoying the game we love 👍 https://t.co/gwAfVjmUey
A big talking point and issue with VAR is the waiting time between a referee asking for a check and getting the final decision as shown by the twitter user below.
I don't like VAR. The right calls should be made, but at times VAR takes more than 5 minutes and it just takes all the energy away from the game. There are goals that are just 0.0001 mm offside and they're called offside after years of waiting. As if that small 0.001 mm mattered. pic.twitter.com/17ZbhnHKZx
Although many fans are concerned, Premier League referee Kevin Friend believes they are in a “positive place” when it comes to VAR.
The experienced referee said the problems that have occurred this season are just “teething problems” in a recent interview with Talk sport.
Talks are now taking place to see wether football can make a return in England after the recent pandemic and one thing which is being discussed is getting the league back underway but without VAR.
IFAB have said that having the required staff to make VAR run smoothly would be too much of a risk with the current risk of infection.
Nothing has been agreed yet but it looks like football will return with no fans and no video assistant referee.
VAR has been the talking point of the Premier League this season for several reasons.
After years of talking about ways to help referees make crucial decisions during matches it seems the solution is a Video Assistant referee.
It was decided that every Premier League fixture will have a Video Assistant Referee (VAR), a qualified referee who watches the match via a number of screens and can view slow-motion replays, enabling them to advise the on-field referee.
Ever since that decision was made, the technology has been embroiled in controversy, whether its human error or a fault in the technology that is the main issue with VAR is not yet known.
The infographic below goes into the numbers behind VAR including costings, how its affected teams in the Premier League and a timeline on the development of the game changing technology.
As the infographic shows some teams can feel more hard done by than others.
Although league leaders Liverpool are often criticized for their luck when it comes to controversial decisions, the stats show that they aren’t really benefiting from the introduction of the technology.
Another surprising piece of data from the graphic is the amount it Costs to install and run the software.
It does suggest why many teams were sceptical about the introduction of VAR and why it hasn’t yet been introduced in the lower leagues.
Despite the fact VAR has split many supporters opinions it will continue to feature in the Premier League with UEFA vowing to make improvements.
The FA have today decided that all non league divisions under the National League and National league North and South will be expunged due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
All games which have been played this season have now been classed as null and void.
The decision applies to all teams in steps three to seven and also includes all grassroots football as well.
The Football association said today that:”
“Our primary concern will always be for the safety and welfare of clubs, players, staff, officials, volunteers and supporters during this unprecedented time.
“Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided, with the integrity of the leagues in mind.”
The decision made today means that no team will be promoted or relegated, although some teams have already won promotion.
Those promotions will not count and they will begin next season in the same leagues.
The Premier League and EFL are yet to make a decision on how to finish there season, however there jobs have been made easier due to the postponement of the Euros.
The National League looks set to close its season due to the coronavirus outbreak causing upset amongst managers.
The decision to cease the league comes after a call on Tuesday with league officials who called for the season to be void.
Some managers disagree with the idea of dismissing the 2019/20 season including Barrows Ian Evatt, however the majority welcome the decision.
In a statement issued to all Clubs in the National League, Chief executive Michael Tattersall said: “The broad consensus was that our clubs wish for a decision to be made to close the season as soon as possible.
“The FA have been asked to assist us with making the decisions to officially postpone all remaining National League fixtures and to end the season as soon as possible for the purposes of player contracts.
“The National League is also working with the FA to define all reasonable and practical options for the determination of the 2019-20 season, and to provide guidance to clubs on dealing with player contracts, player registrations and the application of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.”
If the decision was made to cancel the 19/20 National League season, it could have huge knock on effect for the EFL and Premier League.
EFL clubs could be forced to scrap their relegation battles while teams who are challenging for promotion would be made to play another season in their current league.
The Football League and Premier League have committed to playing out this season to get a fair result although it is not yet known when the football in England will be aloud to resume.
Players and clubs will be helped financially by The Professional Footballers Association as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Talks were held on Monday between the EFL and The Premier league to provide an emergency fund for players and clubs.
The emergency fund will mainly benefit players playing in lower leagues such as league one and two.
The cheif executive of the PFA told sky sports news:”We have funds for the particular situation we’re in now and they will be made available to any players and their families should they be in difficult times.”
All Premier League and Football League games were suspended until the 30th if April due to the coronavirus outbreak however it is not known yet if that date will be pushed back even further.
The EFL which represents 72 clubs says its main priority is to have a successful conclusion to the 2019/20 season.
A former Premier League referee has voiced his concern over the controversial video assistant referee system.
Keith Hackett who refereed major competitions such as the 1981 FA cup final said the new system takes power away from the on-the-field officials.
He also said the technology was exposing the on-field referees to criticism from spectators.
Mr Hackett, aged 75 said: “We’re consistently getting decisions that put into question how the VAR is being operated in England.
“We’re out of sync with the rest of the world and what concerns me is we are taking away some of the power and authority of the man in the middle and passing it on to another referee in fairness, however he’s at Stockley Park.
“I agree in terms of offside. You want the man at Stockley Park to make that call in terms of subjective decisions.”
Keith Pictured refereeing the Football League centenary game.
VAR was introduced for the first time in a major competition for the 2018 Russia world cup after being vigorously tested for the two years previous to the competition.
After being mostly successful in the World Cup the decision was made to use the technology in the 2019/20 Premier League season, in which it has been involved in huge controversies since.
Most recently Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero had a goal ruled offside in the Manchester derby even though he seemed to be just onside even after a VAR check.
Earlier on in the season Sheffield United thought they had taken the lead against reigning champions Man City, however their goal was disallowed as striker Lys Mousset’s toe nail was judged to be offside.
Many fans have said that the use of VAR should be withdrawn from the Premier League until it has been improved although Hackett doesn’t believe that should be the case.
He added: “I don’t think that the standard is poor. What we have is a competition that’s viewed by 211 territories around the world there are a minimum of 22 cameras at each game so therefore the exposure of the Premier League referees is massive compared to other countries and i feel that does give them problems.
“I feel there is a process a referee makes. Number one – he has to see the incident then he thinks about it and then he makes his decision and that’s the process.
“I feel at times the refs aren’t seeing everything and I question if they are fit to pass an annual test. This was highlighted when mid season a couple of our younger referees David Coote and Andy Madley both failed a UEFA fitness test now yes they’ve now retaken and passed it, however they shouldn’t be in that position to start with.
“They shouldn’t fail at all, they’re professional referees so I think the standard is not as good as it used to be.”
One criticism from fans has been that the on field officials haven’t used the pitch side monitors frequently enough.
Up until January the monitors hadn’t been used at all in the former league and only once in the FA cup.
Hackett said he believes referees were advised not to look at the monitors by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which is the body responsible for officials in the UK.
He said: “I think it’s the boss of the PGMOL. They decide the strategy within regulations therefore I think they’ve sought advice from the IFAB (International Football Association Board) the governing body there the lawmakers and in charge of VAR around the world and i think it’s a mistake and poor management decisions.
“I’ve heard the Premier League have influenced that decision but the they should stay out of the refereeing after they are member of the PGMOL board and that’s where they should voice their concerns they should have no power to execute how the refs are applying the laws of the game that is not their business, so that concerns me.
“I am quite clear that there is a technology short fall when it comes to making those decisions, my view is because of the speed of the cameras that there is a shortfall in accuracy so i don’t think the system is giving them the level of accuracy that’s needed.”
Premier League football is due to resume on the 3rd of April after it was postponed due the coronavirus outbreak.
This site will feature stories on the effect VAR is currently having on the Premier League. It will also include interviews from fans, referees and players will be featured as a decision on the future of the technology is attempted to be made.
As VAR is in the news most weeks there will be regular stories and updates on whats happened in the past week concerning VAR on what the latest issue with it is.
Interviews with referees both professional and amateur to see how they feel VAR should be used will be included. Regular discussions with fans will be uploaded in the form of a podcast.
If you’ve got any comments or would like to share a story then get in touch through twitter. @VaReffect
THE VAR EFFECT 