When technology takes the whistle, is VAR ruining football’s emotion?

SHAH ALAM – Technology may have changed football forever, but experts insist the game must never lose its human element, warning that video assistant referee (VAR) should remain a tool to assist referees rather than dictate the sport.

Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (FCAM) former vice-president Datuk Richard Scully said football's beauty lies in its unpredictability, emotions and human judgement.

Scully stressed that despite technological advancements, the final decision must always rest with the referee on the pitch.

"We've got to understand the role of VAR. It is the video assistant referee.

"It only assists the human. At the end of the day, it's the human who makes the final call," he said during Sinar Daily's Sports Matters: Football Fever podcast, yesterday.

Scully further highlighted that referees were still required to interpret the laws of the game, determine the severity of incidents and make split-second decisions that technology alone cannot fully comprehend.

"The referee has to decide whether it's a penalty, a red card, a yellow card or simply a fair tackle. Technology is there to assist, not to replace that judgement," he added.

He stressed that football's laws encourage referees to allow play to continue before reviewing incidents, ensuring the flow of the game is not unnecessarily disrupted.

However, Scully acknowledged that certain applications of VAR, particularly marginal offside calls decided by mere centimetres, risk taking away from the sport's appeal.

"Football has colours because of its dramas and emotions. Without that, there is no excitement," he said.

The veteran football administrator also noted that modern football already incorporates sophisticated technology, including chips embedded inside match balls to support goal-line technology and offside decisions.

Still, he insisted technology should never become the sole decision-maker.

"Even with all these advancements, the referee remains responsible. He can even disagree with VAR if he feels the situation requires a different interpretation," he said.

Meanwhile, former Perak FC general manager Neow Choo Seong cautioned against allowing technology and artificial intelligence to overshadow the emotional aspect that makes sport meaningful.

"Sport involves emotion. The beauty of games is about emotion, the satisfaction, disappointment and passion that come with it," he added.

He stated an overreliance on technology could risk stripping away the human values embedded in sports.

"Sometimes, we need to take a few steps back and humanise football and sports again.

"If everything is left to technology and AI, we may lose the sportsmanship, emotions and human connection that make people fall in love with the game in the first place," he said.

Neow added that while technology has undoubtedly improved fairness and accuracy, maintaining a balance between innovation and humanity is equally important.

"At the end of the day, we are humans. We have feelings and emotions, and sports should continue to reflect that," he said.

VAR was first introduced by FIFA on the global stage during the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has since become a permanent feature in major football competitions worldwide.

Although the system has helped reduce clear officiating errors, it continues to spark debate among players, managers and supporters over issues such as lengthy delays and ultra-fine offside decisions.