SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell claims VAR ‘is working’ but raises concerns over speed and communication

The technology has been in place for five rounds of Scottish Premiership fixtures so far.
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Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell admits the introduction of VAR has already made a considerable difference but claims there are still concerns over the speed and communication of decisions.

The technology has been in place in the Scottish Premiership since October 2 and has has been used at 30 matches so far this season. During that period, it has awarded 19 penalties, with several managers complaining about the lengthy pauses as video footage is reviewed during games.

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Supporters have also been left in the dark surrounding the nature of certain on-field reviews, with a handful of top-flight clubs explaining what incident the match officials are assessing over their tannoy system.

Referee Euan Anderson consults the VAR monitor for on on-field review. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group)Referee Euan Anderson consults the VAR monitor for on on-field review. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group)
Referee Euan Anderson consults the VAR monitor for on on-field review. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group)

While acknowledging VAR has been a success, Maxwell believes there it still room for improvement and understands fans frustrations at the length of time it has taken for major incidents to be rectified.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he admitted: “It’s working. It’s doing what it’s supposed to be doing. We had a call with Premiership managers and chief executives yesterday (Tuesday) and showed them the statistics, showed them the improvement that it’s having in terms of decisions.

“What we are actually finding is that we are spending more time talking about less wrong decisions than we has before VAR. I understand that it’s been a high-profile introduction and it was always going to take time to settle in, as it has in every country it’s been implemented in. The challenges we are facing are no different to anybody else.

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“We’ve seen at the World Cup a number of decisions that have been questionable and the referees using it have been doing so for a lot longer than we have.”

Referees have an accurace rating of 90 per cent in relation to four elements; straight red cards, penalty area incidents, goals and mistaken identity with the global accuracy around 91 per cent. The intervention of VAR has brought that up to 98 per cent of correct decision.

A view inside the VAR hub at Clydesdale House ahead of its Scottish football debut this weekend. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)A view inside the VAR hub at Clydesdale House ahead of its Scottish football debut this weekend. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
A view inside the VAR hub at Clydesdale House ahead of its Scottish football debut this weekend. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Maxwell added: “I would disagree that they (fans) don’t think it’s working. I’d say they have issues potentially with the time it takes, potentially with the communication opportunities we’ve got within inside the stadiums - and those are challenges we need to face.

“But when you take a step back and look at the number of decisions that are made pre-VAR, the number of decisions we’re getting right now, that statistic has increased in line with the standard that we’ve seen across the globe. We’ve not done this on the cheap. Clubs have invested significant money and we are comparable with the vast majority of leagues across the world.

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“We have a gold standard set-up. The difference is we don’t have as high a number of cameras as a World Cup has (a minimum of six compared to 15-18), but the Hawkeye technology is the same all over the world, the software is the same, the hardware is the same. Fans will get used to it and players will as well.”

Maxwell’s claim comes after St Mirren chairman John Needham suggested Scottish football should look to rugby as an example to help limit delays and a lack of clarity for supporters.

Needham is confident VAR will eventually become quicker and more reliable as referees get to grips with the technology but reckons the SFA should take a leaf out of their rugby counterparts, who have been utilising video footage in the form of a TMO (Television Match Official) for several years. It allows fans, both at home and attending a game, to listen in to the reasoning behind key decisions.

The LED board shows the VAR check which results in a red card for Morgan Boyes of Livingston (not pictured) during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Livingston at Ibrox StadiumThe LED board shows the VAR check which results in a red card for Morgan Boyes of Livingston (not pictured) during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Livingston at Ibrox Stadium
The LED board shows the VAR check which results in a red card for Morgan Boyes of Livingston (not pictured) during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Livingston at Ibrox Stadium

The Buddies president told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “It’s been well commented on that VAR has had a fairly bumpy start since it was introduced here. It’s important to not think of VAR as just a negative thing. It should help to get more decision right in the long run and it has already helped to do that in some instances so far.

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“Every change takes time to adjust to and football will get is right eventually. I do agree that the communication to the fans needs to be improved. Fans need to know exactly what’s going on, both during games and afterwards. If you look at rugby, I like that you can hear the discussion between the referee and the video assistants. I think that’s something we could explore because it definitely adds something to it.

“People, myself included, sometimes aren’t aware of every nuance of the rules. To hear it from the officials themselves would help clear up a lot of doubt. It would also help to explain decisions more clearly and fully. It could actually add something to the experience, so I think it is something we should be looking at going forward.”

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