Since its inception, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology has changed the world of football. If applied in Vietnam, this technology will also bring great value to the development of domestic football. In the ongoing 2023 season, VPF and FPT Play are actively implementing specific plans, in clear stages, to gradually put VAR into operation.
Assist referees in making decisions
In phase 1 of V.League 2023, many coaches have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the referee team's decisions, most notably coach Vu Tien Thanh of Ho Chi Minh City Club and coach Vo Dinh Tan of Khanh Hoa Club.
Besides the 50/50 situation, there are still many cases of inaccurate offside calls in the plays leading to goals. This partly affects the results of the match, leading to negative information about the referee team in the operation.
All referees are confident and determined to complete the VAR training course (Photo: VPF)
With VAR, similar errors are certainly significantly reduced. The pressure on the referee team is also reduced, especially when having to make immediate decisions that determine the final result. Thanks to that, the quality of matches is improved and the image of the entire V.League is improved.
Regarding this issue, referee Hoang Ngoc Ha affirmed: “ VAR will help us make more accurate decisions. All 18 referees currently studying, along with the support departments, are confident and determined to complete the VAR training course with the best results .”
Efforts to apply VAR technology have been deployed by VPF and FPT Play during the breaks of V.League. On June 16, Mr. Tran Anh Tu - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) said: " We are very pleased to announce to reporters that 2 VAR cars in Vietnam have been confirmed by FIFA to meet actual operating standards.
VAR is applied in the National Championship and the National Cup. It is expected to be tested at the end of the 2023 season and officially applied in the 2023-2024 season .
Image displayed on VAR screen (Photo: VPF)
Improve international competitiveness
In the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, the Vietnamese team was penalized several times after the referee reviewed slow-motion situations. In the 50th minute of the match against Saudi Arabia, Do Duy Manh let the ball touch his hand in the penalty area while trying to block the opponent's shot. The central defender received a second yellow card, and the Vietnamese team conceded a goal in the subsequent penalty situation.
In the match against Oman, Duy Manh and Ho Tan Tai committed fouls in the penalty area. These are fouls that should be avoided when playing in tournaments with VAR support, but Vietnamese players do not have experience in handling similar situations.
Intern referees in the VAR room (Photo: VPF)
With the V.League applying VAR, players will be familiar with this technology, thereby avoiding unnecessary fouls like the above cases when competing both domestically and internationally. In addition, players will compete with a more comfortable mentality, because they know that all situations on the field are recorded and handled fairly, with the help of assistant referees. From there, players and coaches will focus more on the game, avoiding unfortunate situations.
Delivering the complete game experience
Not only players, coaches and referees, VAR can create a positive effect on FPT Play audiences. Normally, fans often react violently when the referee makes a decision that is unfavorable to the team they support. Sometimes this leads to bad images in the stands such as fans using bad words, even threatening the referee team.
VAR training course students (Photo: VPF)
However, with clear images from VAR, fans in general and FPT Play audiences in particular will have enough basis to evaluate the situation in the most objective way. Thereby, they will better understand the refereeing work, and at the same time acquire knowledge about football to be able to follow the match in a multi-dimensional way and receive more information.
Of course, the application of VAR does not mean that every referee's decision is 100% correct. In major tournaments around the world such as the Premier League, Bundesliga or LaLiga, referees still make mistakes when officiating matches, which has become a part of football.
FIFA expert Bhaveshan Moorghen and referees attending the training course (Photo: VPF)
In the early stages, it is difficult to avoid errors when applying VAR, but Vietnamese referees and assistant referees are trying to get used to the new technology, and more importantly, they need the trust and support of football fans nationwide.
FPT Play is the owner of the television copyright package for the National Championship, National First Division and National Cup for 5 consecutive seasons from 2023-2027. All matches are currently broadcast live and in full on FPT Play platforms.
Bao Anh
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