VAR, for good or bad, is a staple topic in pubs all the way to watercooler gossip in offices. And as Euro 2024 approaches, UEFA hope to ease the tension or at least improve the officiating in the prestigious international competition.
Semi-Automated offside
In an attempt to alleviate the pressure on the officials in Euro 2024, the UEFA have introduced connected technology right into the tournament ball, the Adidas FUSSBALLLIEBE, which means ‘love of football’.
The ball made by Adidas will feature cutting-edge technology that should help reduce the time VAR officials need to take to make offside decisions.
In terms of specifics, the Premier League takes an average of 70 seconds for VAR offside decisions to be final, but with the Adidas FUSSBALLLIEBE, VAR time is hoped to be cut down to just 25 seconds in Euro 2024. A tremendous improvement that would benefit the overall experience of the matches.
The same technology was used by FIFA at the Qatar 2022 World Cup in the Al Rihla ball, and it showed promise when it was able to prove that Portugal’s CR7 did not make any contact in Portugal’s opening goal in their 2-0 win over Uruguay. So fans, this SBOTOP writer included, should expect precise officiating that should lead to fair Euro 2024 results and Euro 2024 odds throughout the entirety of the competition.
UEFA’s semi-automated offside system currently being used in the ongoing Champions League campaign does not have a chip inside the ball, forcing AI to make up for any issues in accurately detecting the kick-point for a potential offside call.
“The objective is to intervene for clear and obvious mistakes—minimum interference for maximum benefit. We need to find the correct balance in relation to VAR intervention because our target is to keep football like this.” UEFA’s chief of refereeing argued that the way VAR operated in Euro 2020, Roberto Rosetti exclaimed.
To give another contrast, the Premier League has a manual VAR, which predicates manual lines drawn for offside calls; no cameras on the stadium roof to track players; and ultimately, it takes longer on average to make a decision.
But in the upcoming Euro 2024, where semi-automated technology will be used, there will be a chip inside the ball to track the point of contact, cameras will be featured on the roof of the stadium to track all players, and a 3D graphic will be available for TV viewers and on the stadium’s big screen.
Appointed officials
Referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, assistant referees Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, Dan Cook, and Adam Nunn, as well as Stuart Attwell and David Coote, are some that have been appointed by UEFA to act as video referees for Euro 2024.
The current lineup of chosen officials boasts England’s representation of the joint-highest number of refereeing teams at the Euros, only second to host nation Germany in terms of VARs in the list. “Our congratulations go to all of the match officials from England who have been selected to officiate at this summer’s UEFA EURO 2024. They have all worked incredibly hard to reach the top of the game and are an inspiration to the next generation of referees, which continues to grow year on year,” Peter Elsworth, FA’s head of referee operations, stated.
Some might be scratching their heads to know that Stuart Attwell is part of the elite group of officials, as Atwell is currently under scrutiny after frustrating Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest during their pivotal defeat against Everton.
Forest have stated in a heated social media post that there had been “three extremely poor decisions—three penalties not given—which we simply cannot accept,” adding, “We warned the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) that the VAR was a Luton fan before the game, but they didn’t change him.”
“The club has requested this be shared for three key match incidents: Ashley Young’s challenge on Giovanni Reyna (24th minute), Ashley Young’s handball (44th minute), and Ashley Young’s challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi (56th minute), Forest said in a statement.
The Premier League, on the other hand, has issued a counterstatement in which they exclaimed “extreme disappointment” at Forest’s protestations following the match and have confirmed they will be “investigating the matter in relation to the League’s Rules.”
All in all, Stuart Atwell, along with his fellow chosen referees, are seasoned officials who regularly operate as VARs at the highest level of European and international competitions.
“All chosen referees have performed consistently to the highest standards in UEFA’s top competitions and also in their domestic competitions. They have prepared exceptionally well to be in this position, and we have full confidence in them to show their quality at the final tournament.”
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