Is video review coming to the 3. Liga? There could be a scaled-down version. Forecasting wanted to know what you think. Here are the reactions.
The discussions about video review are at least as old as video review itself. In its current form, video review has existed in the Bundesliga since the 2017/18 season and in the 2nd Division since the 2019/20 season. Since then, adjustments have been made time and again.
Since then, there have been discussions about the merits and drawbacks of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), when it is allowed to intervene and when not, and why it assesses situations the way it does.
Opinions are divided: Some users welcome the idea, with the challenge model in particular finding favor. “Take a look at field hockey. Players can call for video review in a given situation. If they’re right, the team retains the right to call for it again. If they’re wrong, that right is gone,” writes Facebook user “Lars Christian.”
“Thorsten Willner” adds: “That’s exactly how I would have introduced it. Every coach would have three chances to have the VAR review something.” “Steffen Bonnekamp Gött” even sees this as the “model of the future,” as he writes: “This is the model of the future! Sure, there will still be ‘wrong’ decisions that get debated, but this sometimes arbitrary use of VAR will finally be a thing of the past.”
In fact, it is primarily this arbitrariness that has repeatedly caused discontent in the top two leagues. Above all, situations that haven’t been reviewed, even though video evidence is available, have repeatedly sparked debate.
And that’s a point of criticism from the community. “No, thanks! Better a few wrong calls than arbitrary ones,” writes “lenny21_” on Instagram.
Another point of criticism: the long stoppages and the loss of emotion. Many users, such as “Norbert Lohbusch,” take issue with this. He writes: “Soccer has always thrived on emotion and wrong calls, which, however, always balanced out over the course of a season. What great games those were, when wrong calls had our fans on the edge of their seats and the atmosphere really exploded. But after 93 minutes at most, everything was forgotten. That’s what made soccer what it was. Not like today. When a goal is scored, you have to wait five minutes to see if you’re allowed to celebrate or not. But of course, everyone has a different opinion on this. “No VAR for me personally.”
“Jörg Lukowski” agrees: “Even more interruptions,” he writes meaningfully. “Jörg Siebers” fears: “Then the game will be constantly interrupted because some coach has something to complain about.” That probably wouldn’t be a concern, because coaches would likely lose the right to challenge after a false challenge and wouldn’t be able to request VAR anymore. So they’d probably think carefully about when to call on VAR.
“Video evidence generally harms this sport. Wrong calls are just as much a part of it as bad passes. Who would still be talking about Wembley or the ‘Hand of God’ today if VAR had intervened? But it’s all about money, and for that, even the soul of soccer is being sold off bit by bit,” says “Thomas Schiff.” Probably no one. But in the age of technology, there likely won’t be a second “Hand of God.” Probably not even in the 3rd Division soon.