I rant about referees all the time, but this is not solution as referees are not the problém. Respectivelly, they are but not the on pitch. On pitch referee cant see everything, for example that Bruno elbow was out of play (ref is following ball) and VAR did not tell him to take a look at out of play that we may have missed. Its not his misstake. This simply happens. Or the assistant refs should let him know if they saw anything. Again. Did not happen.

The problem is that the regular refs use the VAR and it’s the same group of refs that do other games on pitch. Why is it wrong? They all have their own pride, and they protect each other. If you as a VAR referee point out errors someone else does, who is stopping him to point out everything you miss when he’s the VAR at your game? They want to be buddy buddy with each other.

Also. VAR is advanced technology. It needs people who know the rules, but also people who are technically gifted to operate it fast and efficiently enough (my reasoning behind that poor communication and the “we do not have angle” despite fans finding several viable angles within half an hour. They simply have no idea how to operate it efficiently. They are referees. Not techs. As a graphic designer if I get to teach new colleague, he won’t be as efficient within a year or so, even tho he knows and have idea what to do from day 1. Operating software is not for everyone. I can imagine teaching bunch of 40yo to operate it is their nightmare. And they have minute or so to find it and solve it. I don’t think they go through all cameras within that time frame.

The solution? Find a technician who will be sleeping with the rule book. Do not let VAR make decisions. VAR should work so if red is not sure, he asks for help, if he missed something, they intervene, if they think something was judged poorly, they intervene. But I do not mean intervene in a sense that “you have yellow and it’s clear red, we give him a red you moron” but intervene in a sense “hey mate, it seems like you may wanna look at it again and from different angle” and referee goes, takes a look and he decides if his decision stands or not.

There may be some discussion what they think or some “assistant” in the VAR room who will help to point out those situations, but he should not be the one operating the tech nor the one making decisions.

Current system is set so they have no idea what are they doing. They feel betrayed if someone else changes their decisions and all they do is cover each others back so someone else does not screw them over next week. It’s poor design. Nothing more nothing less.

But the referees itself, on pitch, are not the issue. Mistakes will happen and does not matter which referee do you bring in.