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Jonathan White

Nowadays initialisms are all the rage but none provokes more rage than VAR.
That’s been the case at the Fifa Women’s World Cup where the use of the video assistant referee has fuelled controversy and conspiracy in equal measure.
Scotland, Nigeria and Cameroon have all rued the referee gesturing that a decision is going to the video review. Spain can also feel hard done by after the US were given a penalty that proved to be the winner. There was also late drama in Sweden vs Canada, where the referee considered awarding a penalty after the final whistle.
Criticism of the officials in France has been almost universal.

“The refereeing has been questionable the whole tournament,” said Australia’s Alanna Kennedy after their loss to Norway. Kennedy had been sent off.
Former England full back turned pundit Alex Scott was critical of the refereeing in England’s win over Cameroon.
﻿

"The refereeing has been questionable the whole tournament."
A heartbroken Alanna Kennedy says changes need to be made to refereeing.#OptusSport #FIFAWWC #NORAUS pic.twitter.com/Qu7bJ0BaZw
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) June 22, 2019

“We need to seriously think about the level of the referees,” said Scott on the BBC. “We're being let down by the officials. There are some good ones, but there's not enough.” Scott added that she thought Chinese ref Qin Liang lost control of the game. 
Former England defender and Manchester United ladies manager Casey Stoney called for men to referee, while another former England defender Laura Bassett had earlier claimed that referees were using VAR as a “comfort blanket” following decisions in the Germany vs South Africa game.
Comfort blanket? Qin admitted to twice ignoring VAR advice to ensure that Cameroon did not leave the pitch. That’s good refereeing. Finishing the game – one that was almost foregone – had to be priority.

Fifa backed her performance as “good” stating “every decision and the use of VAR was correct, using the protocols”.
It should be said that Qin’s other game between France and Argentina passed without incident and it should also be noted that despite the hand-wringing in England, the FA have sent no referees to the World Cup. Something about them not being qualified, unlike their pundits.
Pierluigi Collina, Fifa’s head of refereeing, told Fifa’s media channels that he was happy with performances last week.

The Italian also revealed that despite several new laws coming in on June 1, teams were allowed to use them in their pre-World Cup friendlies after being informed on March 2. There has been fair warning for the teams if not the fans.
The most controversial of the rules, regarding goalkeepers having to have a foot on the line during penalty kicks, Collina thinks aids the keeper compared to the old one where they needed both feet on the line.
The issue is not so much the change as the difference in it actually being enforced. VAR is unforgiving but Collina thinks that is right.

Alain Djeumfa: "I thought the first goal was the wrong decision. Then we had to make sure we didn’t concede again.
"Unfortunately the officials wanted something else and the girls perhaps lost their temper. Despite refereeing mistakes, we showed fair play." #CMR #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/mPlRQtHJuX
— Goal (@goal) June 23, 2019

“For factual decisions, the number of centimetres doesn’t matter. If a ball is over the goal line by a few centimetres, a goal must be still awarded. And if a foul is committed within the penalty area by a few centimetres, a penalty kick must be given.
“It is the same for offside as there is not a ‘small’ or a ‘big’ offside – there is simply an offside.”
That might be hard for players and fans to deal with but it is fair.

The other complaint is that VAR is a waste of time. Well, complaining about it is a waste of time. We have been given what we deserve after years of complaining about the standard of refereeing.
As for “scheduling havoc” for broadcasters because of delays to the game? Cry me a river.
You can’t blame VAR. You can only blame the rules. The referees are there to enforce them. The teams were warned beforehand that VAR scrutiny would be increased. The only controversy with VAR is the reaction to it.

Would it be better with male referees? That’s tone deaf at a tournament to champion women’s football. What’s the message? You’re good enough to play but you don’t understand the game well enough to ref it.
Would these not be the same men that are deemed not good enough at grounds around the world every week? The ones whose decisions are being questioned at the ongoing Copa America and Gold Cup?
Mark Clattenburg, who is now refereeing in the Chinese Super League, thinks it is “important step” in their development. “This is great experience for them, a great chance to learn,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.

There have been complaints that only three of the tournament's referees officiate in top-flight men's leagues: Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus, France’s Stephanie Frappart and Uruguay’s Claudia Umpierrez.
That needs to change but it is going to need an awful lot more respect for referees to be in place from fans and players.
Thankfully there are some that still show that. Australia’s Sam Kerr said the ref was not the reason the Matildas lost.

“I thought the referees weren't too bad,” Kerr said. “We're not going to blame our loss on the refs. They have a tough job out there.”


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Fifa Women's World Cup

Fifa Women’s World Cup 2019: Call for male refs is as tone deaf as complaints about VAR

Cameroon players argue with referee Qin Liang. Photo: EPA

Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Round of 16 - Norway v Australia - Allianz Riviera, Nice, France - June 22, 2019. Referee Riem Hussein points to the penalty spot as Norway's Ingrid Moe Wold, Maren Mjelde, Vilde Boe Risa and Maria Thorisdottir protest REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

Canadian referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin shows a yellow card to Brazil's forward Beatriz during the France 2019 Women's World Cup round of sixteen football match between France and Brazil, on June 23, 2019, at the Oceane stadium in Le Havre, north western France. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

(190625) -- PARIS, June 25, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Kosovare Asllani (L) of Sweden argues with Australian referee Kate Jacewicz during the round of 16 match between Sweden and Canada at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in Parc des Princes in Paris, France, June 24, 2019. Sweden won 1-0. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

FILE PHOTO - Britain Football Soccer - Derby County v Leicester City - FA Cup Fourth Round - Pride Park - 27/1/17 Referee Mark Clattenburg Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Boyers Livepic/File Photo EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Australian referee Kate Jacewicz blows a whistle during the France 2019 Women's World Cup round of sixteen football match between Sweden and Canada, on June 24, 2019, at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON / AFP)

A giant screens displays a message after the referee called the video assistance (VAR) for a penalty during the France 2019 Women's World Cup round of sixteen football match between Spain and USA, on June 24, 2019, at the Auguste-Delaune stadium in Reims, northern France. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

(190625) -- REIMS (FRANCE), June 25, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian referee Katalin Kulcsar gestures for a VAR review of a possible foul during the round of 16 match between the United States and Spain at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in Reims, France, on June 24, 2019. The United States won 2-1. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Fifa Women’s World Cup: Chinese referee accused of racism and ‘wanting England to win’ by Cameroon

Cameroon's Ninon Abena and teammates remonstrate with referee Qin Liang after the match. Photo: Reuters

Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Round of 16 - England v Cameroon - Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, France - June 23, 2019 England's Toni Duggan appeals to referee Qin Liang after being spat on by Cameroon's Augustine Ejangue REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Round of 16 - England v Cameroon - Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, France - June 23, 2019 England manager Phil Neville and Cameroon coach Alain Djeumfa react as England's Steph Houghton receives treamtent after sustaining an injury from a foul REUTERS/Phil Noble

(190624) -- VALENCIENNES, June 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Alain Djeumfa (3rd L) , head coach of Cameroon, reacts during a round of 16 match between England and Cameroon at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in Valenciennes, France, June 23, 2019. England won 3-0. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

(190624) -- VALENCIENNES, June 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Ajara Nchout (3rd R) of Cameroon reacts after her scoring being cancelled during a round of 16 match between England and Cameroon at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in Valenciennes, France, June 23, 2019. England won 3-0. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

(190624) -- VALENCIENNES, June 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Referee Qin Liang (3rd L) talks with Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of Cameroon after a VAR review on England's scoring during the round of 16 match between England and Cameroon at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup at Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes, France, June 23, 2019. England won 3-0. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

(190624) -- VALENCIENNES, June 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Players of Cameroon argues with the referee during the round of 16 match between England and Cameroon at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup at Stade Hainaut in Valenciennes, France, June 23, 2019. England won 3-0 . (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

A still of referee Qin Liang being pushed. Photo: Sina Sports/CCTV 5

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Mallory Pugh (2) of the USA celebrates her goal with teammates during the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2019 win over Thailand. Photo: EPA

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China head Coach Jia Xiuquan hands the ball to Wang Shuang during a Fifa Women’s World Cup match. Photo: Xinhua

(190424) -- WUHAN, April 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Lin Dan of China competes during a mens' singles match against Lu Chai Hung of Chinese Taipei at the BWF Badminton Asia Championships 2019 in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, China, on April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

(181210) -- SHAOXING, Dec. 10, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Zhu Ting (Top) of Vakifbank Istanbul spikes the ball during the final match between Vakifbank Istanbul of Turkey and Minas Tenis Clube of Brazil at the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang province, Dec. 9, 2018. Vakifbank Istanbul won 3-0 to claimed the title. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

China's Li Na poses with the trophy after victory in her women's singles final match against Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova on day thirteen of the 2014 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 25, 2014. IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE AFP PHOTO / GREG WOOD

China's volleyball national coach Lang Ping (RIGHT) and player Zhu Ting meet the press in Macau.

Nine-year-old earthquake survivor Lin Hao walks with China's national flag-bearer Yao Ming (R) during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium in this August 8, 2008 file photo. China's Olympic flag-bearer will be tall, handsome and famous to provide a positive image of the Asian sporting superpower, according to the team's deputy chef de mission. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen/Files (CHINA - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS)

epa07100716 Wang Shuang (C) of PSG celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening during the Women's Champions League round of 16, first leg soccer match between Linkopings FC and Paris SG at Linkoping Arena, Sweden, 17 October 2018. EPA-EFE/Stefan Jerrevang SWEDEN OUT SWEDEN OUT

Sport

Football

Chinese ref Qin Liang has been criticised following England vs Cameroon encounter
Pundits, fans and players have complained over standard of officiating in France


Pundits, fans and players have complained over standard of officiating in France


Fifa

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


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.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Chinese ref Qin Liang has been criticised following England vs Cameroon encounter Pundits, fans and players have complained over standard of officiating in France

Chinese ref Qin Liang has been criticised following England vs Cameroon encounter

Pundits, fans and players have complained over standard of officiating in France