The evaluation of the video assistant referee from referees' and spectators' perspectives in soccer -A case study of the German Bundesliga (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2019
The inroad of digital media technologies into football has simplified referees decisions on contestable goals. This study examine the adoption of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and Goal Line Technology (GLT) and how the interpretation of the communication between referees affects the outcome of the games. This study is anchored on Diffusion of Innovations theory. A sample of 150 pitch-based referees were proportionally selected on the basis 25 per continents for interview. This study is aimed at exploring the communicative frame of reference for technological and pitch-based referees. The study argued that VAR and GLT communication situation is largely interpreted using guess work by the pitch-based referees, as angular lens, perspectives and human prejudice of technological referees in the control room subjects the pitch-based referees to polysemous interpretations. Contrary to the speculations that the diffusion of technology usually resulted to structural unemployment, the adoption of VAR and GLT has opened up opportunities for increased numbers of referees and match officials. Consequently, this research tries to establish whether the diffusion of digital media technology into football officiating has excommunicate human errors and blunders envisaged in the era of analogue pitch and referees, thereby setting the paste for minimal errors in the contemporary phase of digital officiating.
Development of the Effect of Video Assistant Referee Application on Football Parameters
Applied Sciences
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) application is a technological development that gives referees the chance to review their critical decisions. The current study aimed to determine the effect of the VAR system in international football organizations on the game over the years. The sample of the study consists of 115 football matches, specifically 64 matches played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 51 matches played in the 2020 European Football Championship. In the competitions handled, the number of goals, the number of yellow cards, the number of red cards, the first half time, the second half time, the total match time, the number of penalties and the number of offsides were examined. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare two independent groups. As a result, in the 2020 European Football Championship, there was a decrease in the second half time (p = 0.01) and total match time (p = 0.01), and a significant increase in the number of offsides (p = 0.03) compared to the 2018 FIFA...
Soccer & Society, 2022
This article draws on the responses of one hundred English Premier League Football fans and their perceptions of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the 2019/2020 season. A multi-sited ethnographic study was applied to capture fans opinions of VAR who were physically present at matches. Data was collected at pubs, fan areas, family zones, public areas, and online on Premier League Forums and Official Message Boards. Fans indicated various themes such as accuracy, flow, in the dark, ruining the moment and acceptance. The results of this study expose significant complexities between the VAR and the experience of matchday fans. Findings also hold implications for the continuous discussion surrounding VAR in elite football. Overall, this paper contributes to the literature that explores decision-aid technology in sport and the evolution of football fandom in England.
OA Journal - Sports, 2019
This (short) article/commentary discusses the video-assisted referee (VAR) system in association football. Based on simple logic, the link between uncertainty of outcome and VAR is established, and the article concludes that general introduction of the VAR system may be harmful to association football as it may lower uncertainty of outcome to levels which may seriously harm future demand.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
The inclusion of the video assistant referee (VAR) in the Laws of the Game [International Football Association Board (IFAB)] reflects a historic action in the world of soccer. The VAR was designed to reduce critical errors in soccer referees' decision-making (DM), thereby increasing the social perceptions of justice. From the referees' perspective, the implementation of the VAR represents a technical-technological career change event. This case study adopted an intrinsic mixed-methods methodology to investigate the implementation of the VAR system within the Israeli Premier League context. The results indicated that the initial VAR performance rates of the Israeli referees were not high compared with data from other countries (e.g., Italy). The Israeli referees perceived the VAR implementation as a moderate change event in their careers. The largest effects were in pre-match preparation, players' management, public perception, and DM. The referees felt that their perceived pressure during the matches decreased. This change event produced off-field demands mostly related to the educational process and on-field demands mainly related to developing VAR proficiency. The referees also experienced off-field (e.g., lack of clear goals and rewards system) and on-field barriers (e.g., errors of the VARs). To effectively cope with these new demands and barriers, most of them initially consulted with others and then made a decision to apply all necessary adjustments in response to the new situation. They also received considerable support yet perceived their cooperation with the professional committee as moderate. The referees showed some professional improvements; still they experienced scrutiny from the clubs, the media, and the Referee Union. Thus, three of them perceived the outcome of this change process favorably, four naturally, and four negatively. The discussion presents reflections of these findings in light of the recently emerging literature on technological officiating aids in sport. Recommendations are provided for referee unions who aspire to integrate the VAR system into their operation.
International Journal of Computer Science in Sport
The main objective of this article was to analyse whether the Interactive Video Test (IVT) is a useful tool for the practical off-field training of soccer assistant referees, and if its use could reduce erroneous on-field decisions when applying Law 11 of the Laws of the Game. Assistant referees were taken from the Spanish 2nd “B” and 3rd Divisions, and were divided into two groups, the Experimental Group (EG) and the Control Group (CG). The referees in the EG were trained with the Interactive Video Test by analysing 720 off-side decisions. Subsequently, both groups were assessed in on-field tests involving the simulation of 326 possible off-side situations. When the results of both groups were compared, there was a continuous improvement over time in the EG associated to the use of the IVT, significantly better than the improvement of the CG. Moreover, the IVT proved to be a good diagnostic tool to assess the skills of assistant referees in perceiving and evaluating off-side situat...
The Moral Gatekeeper: Soccer and Technology, the Case of Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
Video assistant referee was officially introduced into soccer regulations in 2018, after many years in which referee errors were justified as being “part of the game.” The technology’s penetration into the soccer field was accompanied by concerns and much criticism that, to a large degree, continues to be voiced with frequency. This paper argues that, despite fierce objections and extensive criticism, VAR represents an important revision in modern professional soccer, and moreover, it completes a moral revolution in the evolution of the sport as a whole. Theoretically speaking, this technology enables an improvement in the sport’s professional standards and its public image and prestige, and especially its moral standards – Fair play. Furthermore, the introduction of this technology makes it possible to discover additional weaknesses (Standardization for extra time, a clear definition of a handball offense and more) that professional soccer regulations will probably be forced to add...
International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2020
The main purpose of the present study was to assess if the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) had effects in the playing time and in the technical-tactical and physical performances of the teams in the Spanish LaLiga during 2018-19 season. A total of 375 matches were grouped according the number of VAR interventions: none (VAR0), one (VAR1) and two or three (VAR2). The variables recorded were: total (TPT) and effective (EPT) playing time, passes, dribbles, crosses, shots, goals, corners, fouls, width, length, height, distance from the goalkeeper to their defence, and total (TD) and above 21 km/h distance covered. The results were: I) there was a slight increase in the TPT in VAR2 compared to VAR1 and VAR0 (99.1 vs. 96.0 vs. 95.1, respectively); II) there was a decrease in the EPT between VAR0 and VAR1 (52.5 vs. 51.5); III) there was an increase in the number of goals (1.2 vs. 1.5 vs. 1.7, in VAR0, VAR1 and VAR2); and, IV) there was a slight decrease in the TD (108,916 vs. 107,916 vs. 106,977, in VAR0, VAR1 and VAR2). In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest that the VAR hardly changes the game in elite soccer.
The impact of refereeing decisions on match outcomes in soccer: Perceptions and realities
International Journal of Sports, Health and Physical Education, 2024
The study examined the perceived factors influencing soccer referee decision-making and the perceived effects of soccer referees' decisions on the outcome of football matches. This study employed the exploratory research design. The purposive sampling method was used to select referees, coaches, and players in Division One football in Ghana. The study employed an unstructured interview as a medium of data collection. The data collected from the field were manually transcribed and analyzed qualitatively. Themes were generated from the responses of the respondents. It was found that referees' decisions were not always accurate, they sometimes commit some errors. It was evident that several factors are perceived to influence referees' decision-making in football matches. Generally, some perceived factors include ideal decision-making, individual factors, experience factors, and situational factors. It was also found that referees' decisions are either positive or negative. It was concluded that referees can make and unmake games, specifically, football matches. It was recommended that referees eschew any practice or act that will influence their decision during football match officiating. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) was also recommended to continually intensify the training workshops they organize for referees to keep them abreast of current practices and ethics associated with the profession.
Investigation on Soccer Referees: A Narrative Review
Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism
Introduction. The heightened physical exertion stemming from greater physical loads in football matches has elicited greater development of physical conditioning in both players and referees. Material and methods. The current study consisted of a meta-analysis geared towards identifying the scientific data currently available on the training of referees. Results. With respect to the characterization of the training of football referees, the results of this study showed that there is a diversity of both its methods and contents. As a result of this and based on the support offered by the meta-analysis, a proposal for categorizing the contents of this training is presented. Testing-wise, the results also showed that the FIFA test fails to identify the varying intensities that occur within a match setting and to characterize the distribution of referees’ varying exertions throughout match settings. Lastly, the results of this study also indicated that the training of referees ought to ...