Johnny Phillips: Premier chiefs have time to pull the plug on VAR

With each passing game there is a new level of farce to consider. Just when it appears that the whole charade could not get any worse, a new scenario presents itself.

And, like Brexit, those being charged with steering the ship just seem to be making matters worse.

The Women’s World Cup has seen VAR dramatically alter the course of matches when it has intervened with not just the awarding of a penalties, but the taking of them too.

At the time of writing, all three saved or missed penalties in the Women’s World Cup have been retaken due to the VAR ruling that the goalkeeper had left her goal line.

This comes after a new law was brought in back in March, requiring goalkeepers to have at least one foot on the line.

Scotland, world football’s past masters of abject failure, were knocked out of the tournament on Wednesday evening after drawing 3-3 against Argentina after squandering a three-goal lead with just 16 minutes remaining.

The unfortunate Scotland keeper Lee Alexander saved an injury-time penalty only for the VAR to order the spot-kick be retaken because she did not have at least one foot on the line.

Rules are rules, of course, and the Scottish keeper was marginally off her line.

The correct decision was to order a retake. And, as a result, Scotland were able to add to their long list of shambolic ways of exiting international football tournaments.

At least there wasn’t a World Cup song to haunt the team. Ah, scrap that, a quick Google has discovered there was. “Shelley’s Tartan Army is on its way,” you say?

Oh well, at least her team had a shorter flight home than Ally’s boys back in 1978.

The Brexit parallels continued when Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted: “I still don’t fully understand how it works, but I understand enough to know that I hate VAR!” Which seemed a reasonable enough way of capturing the general mood.

Since VAR’s introduction there have been so many losers, and spare a thought for the poor souls writing the online minute-by-minute text commentaries these days.

How on earth are they supposed to put these bizarre happenings into words? Here’s how Sky Sports’ brave employee attempted to convey the late drama on Wednesday night:

86’ – Penalty conceded by Sophie Howard after a foul in the penalty area.

87’ - Delay in match (Scotland). VAR checking.

88’ – VAR: Penalty Kick. Referee decision on field cancelled.

90’ – Delay over. They are ready to continue.

90’+3’ – Delay in match (Scotland). VAR checking.

90’+ 3’ – VAR: Other. Referee decision on field cancelled.

90’+3’ – Lee Alexander (Scotland) is shown the yellow card.

90’+4’ – Goal! Scotland 3 Argentina 3. Flor Bonsegundo converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of goal.

Good luck digesting all that. Players, officials, reporters and more are waking up in cold sweats with VAR nightmares.

There used to be a time when a goal was a moment of joy and elation during a football match. Now it’s a precursor to panic and confusion.

In the aftermath of Scotland’s woe, it was revealed in The Times newspaper that video assistant referees in the Premier League next season will not rule on the goalkeeper’s position at penalties, with those decisions being left to the judgment of on-field officials.

The Professional Games Match Officials Limited, the organisation that manages referees in the Premier League, has decided the VAR will only get involved at a penalty if the player taking it double-hits the ball, if the kicker feigns at the point of the kick or if there is an encroachment that has a direct impact on the outcome of the penalty.

But an International Football Association Board spokesman told the newspaper, “It is not possible to implement the system in this way. The VAR must make a decision if there is a clear and obvious error of encroachment by the goalkeeper.”

So, no agreement from the authorities there then.

This is the problem with VAR. By cherry-picking the moments to use it, some infringements are being deemed more important than others.

Some laws more important than others. This sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the original law.

Clearly, the implication here is that the PGMOL has come to the conclusion that the encroachment law is not a very important one.

VAR has been implemented far too early.

It is clear that the authorities were not equipped for the wide range of scenarios that the game has thrown up.

This will only be exacerbated come August, when it is introduced in the Premier League. Some will argue that it is only by trial and error that the problems will be ironed out, but it all feels so unsatisfactory.

The PGMOL seem to have decided they want VAR to fix one law but not another.

The vast majority of supporters have already lost faith in the system, now we are seeing the first signs that football’s authorities are not on the same page. The Premier League season is still almost two months away.

Surely there is time to thrash out a sensible plan. Do we really want VAR?

It is not too late to stop this madness is it?

Now, where have we heard that before…