“To err is human,” often comes to mind when I consider the fiasco football has got itself in over the implementation of VAR and the chaos that has followed. The Premier League is undoubtedly the biggest stage for the technology and, as we’ve seen across all of Europe’s major leagues, it has failed to live up to the hype. In no uncertain terms, VAR has been a disaster.
There are a few reasons for this. I personally believe that it was doomed from the start, due to the fact that it was from its very conception an effort to remove the idea of human error from football. Which, as seen in the Premier League this weekend, is simply impossible until the entire process is exclusively run by machines. And while there’s plenty of buzz surrounding “AI” at the moment, I wouldn’t hold my breath on algorithms masked as higher intelligence coming to the rescue anytime soon.
Indeed, the “need” for VAR in the first place came about from high-profile mistakes from referees in major international tournaments like the World Cup. However, rather than being envisaged by the likes of FIFA to implement a higher, more noble sense of fairness on the game, I suspect the governing bodies simply wanted to continue their efforts to quantify what many believe to be unquantifiable: what makes ‘the beautiful game’ so beautiful. Because the more FIFA controls football, the more it can extract value from it. Chaos on the pitch may be good entertainment, but it isn’t good for business.
So the sport is now on this doomed quest to remove human error from the game. Except, it is that very human process of making mistakes that makes football the sport that it is today. It isn’t an exact science. It isn’t a broadway show or well choreographed circus act. It’s just 22 people running around a grassy field, trying to kick a ball. Its simplicity is its beauty. And VAR - and the growing complications to maintain its legitimacy - are a direct threat to that.
The expression “To err is human” is more often than not attributed to the 18th century poet Alexander Pope and is concluded with the expression “to forgive divine.” But in this instance the earlier version of the saying - which Pope was undoubtedly referencing - from Ancient Rome comes to mind. It claimed: "To err is human, but to persist [in error] is diabolical." That, to me, seems more fitting for the fiasco football now finds itself in with VAR.
This train of thought started off as a Twitter rant, which became a Substack “note” and by the time I’d got to the end of it all I figured I may as well stick it in my own personal Substack and see if anyone is interested in reading it. I’m not quite sure what I’ll use this space for - or at all - but the thought of having a space to talk about random aspects of football (aside from the Bundesliga newsletter I already run) does appeal to me a lot. If anyone is interested in following me on that journey then feel free to subscribe. I’ve got no intentions of sticking up paywalls so rest assured that it will be completely free.
I missed this before listening to you, Matt, and Chris talk about it. As I said on that pod’s comments- that discussion and now this note do challenge my inherent thoughts on review. I don’t know why in American baseball I’m against robotic umpires but in soccer I’m more tolerant of AI intervention. Keep your musings coming on here, please! I enjoy their thought provoking nature.
I like the way Bundesliga refs do according to the rules. They prefer contacting with the assistant officials over rushing to VAR, or upholding their decisions after reviewing the playback, which shows a massive independent guts.