If you’re a fan of our beautiful game, you’ll have been living in a cave if you’ve not read, seen or heard anything about the introduction of VAR in England for a selection of matches – and in my opinion, the introduction of this technology could not have come soon enough.

How different the game would be if this technology had been introduced years ago, which is when I would have brought it in. At that point, we’d seen Hawkeye technology work wonders in tennis, whilst rugby’s television match official ensured the right calls were made in that sport. Of course, there’s also the examples provided by American sports including ice hockey, which I have watched a lot of.

It always begged the question – why on Earth was technology not being used in the world’s number one sport?

Time Needed

Of course, introducing new technology brings teething problems – and we have certainly seen this. Some referees don’t seem too comfortable with it at this point, but they will naturally need time to adapt. We’ve still had some controversial decisions as a result of VAR’s introduction – and don’t get me wrong, I think that it can be used more efficiently; however, I like how it’s being used to date.

That said, with the technology being there, could it be argued that the referees now feel additional pressure to use it, rather than relief that it’s available in times of uncertainty? Regardless, we have seen moments where VAR has helped already.

I truly believe that this technology will be effectively used to ensure that decisions, without a clear answer at the time, are made correctly. Think about it. If VAR had been introduced earlier, France would never have been at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Here’s A Suggestion

What do I think would make the process better? I think that the referee and the fourth official should have IMMEDIATE access to a TV screen to look at the challenged incident, with the referee choosing whether to consult his assistants on the line.

I also think that VAR should have limited use, perhaps in a similar way that is it used in tennis and cricket. Provide each team with a set number of challenges per half; the key is to ensure that the referee – not the linesman, not the video referee, not anybody in the stands – makes the final decision. The challenge for officials in using VAR is to ensure that the match remains fluid. Therefore decisions should be made within two minutes at the very most.

If Only…

As a coach, I’m perhaps lucky that I’ve not had to wish that VAR technology was available in games at this point. However, I will always remember two games where I played for SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga where clear goals were not given and VAR would have been of great benefit.

I wish we had VAR back then. I’m confident, with a couple of tweaks to the system; players won’t be in the same position moving forward.

You can follow Bruno Berner on Twitter and Instagram, in addition to ‘liking’ his official Facebook page.