Since the dawn of VAR, refereeing debates have only amplified. Now with an additional party reviewing decisions and encouraging the on-field-referee to change their perspective, the subjectivity around certain calls has only grown more dubious.
However, when it comes to offside, decisions are normally more black and white. The technology can establish a player’s exact position on the pitch in relation to the second last defender, leaving little room for interpretation from the match officials.
In the Manchester derby this past weekend, VAR had another routine decision, a very black and white offside call.
With the score tied at 0-0, an offside Enzo Fernandez leaped into the air and missed his header.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe ball subsequently fell to Erling Haaland, who scored his fourth goal of the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe assistant referee made the correct decision in raising his flag for offside. Regardless of Haaland’s position, it was clear that Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position, and interfering with play.
This should have been a quick check from the VAR team to say that the referee made the correct call.
Instead, the opposite occurred. After extensively reviewing the tapes, the VAR team reversed the decision. The on-field referee was not brought to a monitor to view the clips himself, nor the assistant referee responsible for making the call (which is something I think could be done in offside reviews). It took the VAR several minutes of watching a clip that everyone could see visibly in real-time to come to the objectively incorrect decision.
We know that this is the objectively incorrect decision both by the letter of the law, and by PGMOL’s (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) apology given to Manchester United later that day.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
Under law 11 in the Laws of the Game, a player in an offside position “will be penalized” if any of the following occur:
- They prevent an opponent from being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision.
- They challenge an opponent for the ball.
- They clearly attempt to play the ball.
- They make an obvious action which clearly impacts the ability of the opponent to play the ball.
By the letter of the law, Enzo Fernandez checks every single box as he attempts to dive for the header.
Here he is clearly challenging the opponent for the ball, and clearly attempting to play the ball.
Now the impact that this has is far greater than the VAR recognized.
First, Martinez has to come across to challenge Fernandez (who is in an offside position). Senne Lammens too must react to Fernandez’s header (in case he is not offside). Neither of them can therefore properly react when the ball falls to Erling Haaland.
Embed from Getty ImagesEnzo Fernandez’s offside position also “prevents the opponent from being able to play the ball.” Martinez would need to go through the back of Fernandez to challenge for the ball, meaning that he is clearly disadvantaged from Fernandez’s higher position.
Lammens meanwhile can’t come over to claim the ball before it reaches Haaland, as he might have done without Fernandez’s presence.
By the letter of the law in every single category, Fernandez should have been flagged for offside.
A USEFUL COMPARISON
You can find countless examples in Premier League history of a player in an offside position doing less to impact the play, and being penalized for it.
This goal still lives on in my memory, because of how disappointing it was to see such a beautiful strike disallowed.
In January 2014, Newcastle United faced Manchester City when Cheick Tioté thundered the ball into the back of the net from outside the eighteen-yard-box.
The keeper was never getting there, and could hardly move before the ball was in the back of the net. Unfortunately for Tioté, one of his teammates was standing in an offside position.
This teammate made no attempt to play the ball, only attempting to get out of the way. He didn’t impact the goalkeeper’s line of vision or ability to react, nor did he challenge a defender for the ball. He simply tried to get out of the way so that the shot didn’t thunder into him.
However, this goal was ruled out for offside. The mere fact that he moved his body toward the ball was seen as “attempting to play the ball”, and the brilliant strike would count for nothing.
Every decision comes with their own interpretation. But the disappointment on this play is in the fact that the offside player had no direct involvement in the play. In the Fernandez example, he impacted both the defender (Lisandro Martinez), and the goalkeeper (Senne Lammens). Yet Tioté’s goal was disallowed, and Haaland’s was not.
THE KEY VAR QUESTION
Embed from Getty ImagesThe controversy around this is ultimately about more than just an error of judgement.
It’s the fact that the on-field team initially came to the correct decision. If VAR wanted to ask the refereeing team to have another look and review the footage, the refereeing team involved in making that call could have been reviewing the footage alongside them.
Additionally, if the VAR box does not involve anyone who clearly understand what it means to “impact an opponent” or “prevent them from playing the ball”, perhaps every VAR box should be staffed with one former professional footballer who understands the laws of this game. Since this happened, I’ve heard everyone from former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart to former Manchester United legends like Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville absolutely baffled as to how VAR came to this decision.
Any professional footballer would have been able to tell the refereeing team that they were making the wrong decision in overturning the referee’s initial call.
For Manchester United, the consequences could be significant. Two points can prove decisive over the course of a Premier League season, whether in the race for European qualification, or a title challenge.
PGMOL’s acknowledgement of the mistake provides clarity to the situation, but it cannot change the result. For Manchester United fans watching their team grow in momentum across the match and play well, they can only be left feeling disappointed.
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