VAR in India: VAR Light in India: While fans are eagerly waiting for the introduction of the virtual assistant referee (VAR) or its cut-down version VAR-Light, experts are sceptical. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Kalyan Chaubey, recently promised to introduce VAR-Light in Indian Super League after a string of poor decisions by the referees. But they believe while VAR-Light could be a part of the solution, AIFF must come forward and help develop referees and invest in referee education. Follow Indian Super League and Indian Football Team LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Following his visit from Belgium, Chaubey said that the AIFF would be looking into following Royal Belgian Federation. The backdrop was the ISL semifinal where Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri scored a controversial “quick freekick” with referee Crystal John as a mute spectator. With no review system in place, the decision stayed and an enraged KBFC coach Ivan Vukomanovic asked his players to come off. But it wasn’t one of them. During the entire ISL season, there were poor refereeing decisions aplenty.
So, VAR would at least minimise human error, right? Expert TV presenters like Joe Morrison who has followed Indian football for over a decade closely are not convinced though.
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AIFF to implement VAR-lite from next season in India! 🤩⚽#IndianFootball #AIFF#TheTacticians pic.twitter.com/0LyRw5xTQa
— The Tacticians INDIA (@The_Tacticians) March 19, 2023
Technology implementation requires a foundation, which experts feel the Indian football infrastructure lacks. Joe Morrison, firmly believes that India needs to uphold their refereeing standard for the VAR to work in the way they intend it to.
“Comparing India referees against some of the referees in other parts of the world, they’re just not up to the standards to operate at the level that’s required,” Joe Morisson who has been associated with ISL for a long told InsideSport.
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But before delving into VAR-Light implementation in India, let’s understand what is it first.
VAR in India: What is VAR-Light?
FIFA investigated cost-effective VAR system solutions and presented the concept of VAR Light to The IFAB and its members in March 2021. While full VAR systems are designed to process a large number of camera feeds, VAR Light systems are designed for matches with fewer than eight cameras. Given that there are fewer cameras, the number of camera angles is limited, two distinct paths have been identified.
- System of 4-8 cameras: Competitions with four to eight cameras can use these systems during live trials to investigate the possibility of reducing staff and technology requirements.
- 1-3 camera setup: Competitors with fewer camera plans can test VAR Light systems offline without affecting the game. This will serve as a platform for the exploration of new ideas and potential solutions. Using fewer cameras will also give you an idea of the usability and efficacy of VAR solutions that use fewer camera angles.
Why may VAR implementation not work out in India?
- There have been funny instances where referees have turned to mobile or TV replays in different developing nations to help in decision-making during a live match.
- The absence of infrastructure needed to set up the VAR system is the cause of that..
- While the technology is a nice-to-have, it is a costly business.
- The other reason is the absence of football-exclusive stadiums.
- Out of 10 stadiums in the league, nine are athletics-focused stadiums.
- Only Mumbai Football Arena is football-exclusive. Hence, every setup will need disassembly after a match is over.
- It can incur additional costs.
- InsideSport understands that for each match, the cost of using VAR can go up to Rs 5-6 lakh on top of hosting fees, stadium fees, logistics etc.
- In the present format, 117 matches were played in total. That means the additional cost will go up to Rs 7.2 Cr per season.
A match-winning goal by @chetrisunil11 helped @bengalurufc earn a spot in the #HeroISL 2022-23 semi-finals! ✅#BFCKBFC #HeroISLPlayoffs #LetsFootball #BengaluruFC #KeralaBlasters #ISLRecap pic.twitter.com/jLsg5NxxBz
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 3, 2023
Need referee education, VAR Alone not a Solution:
However, even if the AIFF or the FSDL shells out Rs 7.2 Cr annually, VAR alone won’t be a solution. Joe Morrison insisted that VAR implementation and refereeing need to be upheld at the same time to avoid mishaps.
“We’re trying to raise the professionalism of the game with the s the VAR. I’ve been following Indian football, for probably over 15 years now. I’ve seen a big improvement in the professionalism of the players, a big improvement in the professionalism of the facility, big improvement in the professionalism of the broadcast of Indian football. But I haven’t seen a huge improvement in the professionalism of the referees at the same rate,” Joe Morrison said.
VAR – light sounds like a free app and could cause more debates than offer solutions. Just ask the Premier League who have the paid app – the actual VAR. Don’t get me wrong. Debates and varied opinions are good for sport and I’m sure there will be even more come season 2023-24!
— Anant Tyagi (@anantyagi_) March 19, 2023
VAR in India: AIFF promises VAR-light in India but experts SKEPTICAL about implementation, say ‘Without refereeing education, VAR won’t work out’ – Check Out
Referee education would be urgently necessary. Even though AIFF has finally begun aiding referees. In January this year, AIFF began a monthly salary system for referees. However, AIFF Prez admitted that Indian referees would need more time and there needs to be patience among all stakeholders.
“If it comes together, both things need to happen at the same time, VAR and more training for the referees. They need help. You can’t expect the referees to do in India what they are doing elsewhere with the training they received. Comparing India referees against some of the referees in other parts of the world, they’re just not up to the standards to operate at the level that’s required.” Joe concluded.
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