A Belgium match between Anderlecht and Genk is to be replayed, after the officials controlling VAR made a mistake. A penalty that was disallowed because players from one team, infringed in to the penalty area. All well and good so far.
But what the officials ignored, was the fact that players from the opposing team also did this and, according to the Belgium FA the final result was null and void.
Now, this takes me back to the Tottenham v Liverpool game and the offside that was given, but proved to be wrong. It was said that the result couldn’t be overturned – so are we using one form of VAR technology rules in this country to those in Belgium?
ken1945
(Sorry for the delay Ken! – ADMIN PAT)
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THE FULL STORY
VAR Controversy Sparks Unprecedented Replay in Belgian Football
In a groundbreaking decision, a recent ruling by a football disciplinary body has thrust the Anderlecht-Genk match in the top tier of Belgian football into the spotlight. The game is set for a complete replay after a VAR error led to the misapplication of the laws of the game.
The pivotal moment occurred in the 23rd minute when Genk’s Yira Sor netted a follow-up goal after teammate Bryan Heynan’s missed penalty. However, controversy arose as VAR intervened, highlighting Sor’s presence inside the penalty area during Heynan’s kick. While recommending the disallowance of the goal, the review also revealed two Anderlecht players encroaching into the penalty area – a violation that should have triggered a retake of Genk’s penalty, contrary to the officials’ decision to award Anderlecht a free kick.
Initially, Belgium’s refereeing body dismissed the incident as a VAR error, deciding against a replay and maintaining that the laws of the game were not misapplied. Genk, dissatisfied with this outcome, appealed to the Disciplinary Council for Professional Football.
In a surprising turn, the Disciplinary Council overturned the initial decision, declaring that the match should be replayed in full. This unprecedented ruling has stirred conversations about the evolving role of technology in officiating and its impact on the game’s integrity.
This decision was announced on the official Genk Website
The Disciplinary Council for Professional Football has ruled that the Anderlecht – KRC Genk match at the end of last year should be replayed. The Disciplinary Council initially declared itself competent to rule on the matter. This overturned the earlier decision of the Professional Referee Department not to replay the match. The Council then followed KRC Genk’s argument that the match officials misapplied the rules at the penalty phase in question. KRC Genk hopes that a date will be found soon to replay the match.
Thanks again Pat for the FULL explanation, rather than my bullet points.
It seems to be an incredibly dangerous precedent to me. Over the years thousands of errors by officials have been made and – even with VAR – I have no doubt many more will be made in future: are we to replay all of these games?
Interesting question F. E. M.
For me, it highlights the fact that, even with VAR technology, referees are STILL unable to follow the rules!!
Why is it that every other sport that uses ANY form of technology does so in a harmonious way, yet European football and its officials continue to prove woefully inadequate to interprete the rule book properly?
Ken
For me it comes down to the context in which the ref makes his decision.
For example, if they ONLY applied the rules it would alleviate many problems. Don’t “interpret” just enforce the rules.
Was there contact by the defender? Was there interference with the players shot attempt?
Unfortunately refs apply “intent” or mistakenly and incorrectly judge degree of force, as if they are a qualified physicist.
Exactly the reply I gave to “Jen” Durand.
I sometimes wonder why there is a rulebook for referees.
Of course, this interpretation of the rules happened long before VAR came along but now it’s easier to identify those people who do this, including those who actually use the var technology.
Exactly Ken
For example, if rules were enforced rather than refs determining intent, there would not be an issue between similar fouls by Saka and Joelinton at Newcastle.
There was contact by both, hence a foul by the rulebook. Ref used intent to say Joelinton was not a foul, while another ref Saka did commit a foul.
Applying the rules as stated clears up this problem by the refs.
👍🎯
As if things couldn’t get anymore farcical with VAR, now it’s replying games?
There’s been so many VAR errors that every team is probably due at least 3 games replayed, and that’s just this season!
And when do you even fit these extra games in? Maybe an off season VAR tournament 🤣
It’s not VAR errors that’s getting it wrong, it’s the officials!!
By the way, your reply regarding the United goal that var technology proved as being offside, would have stood if the referee’s decision was taken as sacrosanct – the COMPLETE opposite of how you described it in your post.
THAT referee was wrong and VAR corrected him – simple as taking candy from a baby.
So you admit that humans will always be fallible then? Meaning that it they continue to operate VAR, we’ll continue getting massive errors.
Only if they don’t use it properly and within the rules that they, as professionals, should know.
Your argument stumbles at the very first obstacle, as it was the referee who made the “massive” wrong call and VAR technology that corrected it – pleased to see you didn’t argue about the United goal and wasn’t it a relief that the correct call was made due ENTIRELY to VAR?
But we’ve had 4/5 years of VAR errors, is that not long enough to see the experiment failed? If not, how many more years then?
How many years did we have watching referees make mistakes that couldn’t be changed?
At least with VAR technology, as can be seen by the content of the article and united’s offside goal being cancelled out, referees have the opportunity to look again at the important decisions and, along with their colleagues, change their decisions if they are proven to be wrong.
I have no idea how long it will be before every decision is correct, but I would rather referees had the opportunity to, at least, review said decisions.
All they need to do, is follow the rules and if they did that, the consistencies we all want would be there – hands on the back of an opponent to gain an advantage for instance, shouldn’t be an opinion, it should be the rule as laid out.
This could over complicate an already complicated games schedule particularly for the teams playing in European competitions. My main reasons for being pro VAR were (a) it would limit diving in the penalty area and (b) provide goal line technology. Instead it is morphing into something making referees redundant and might end up (when AI takes hold) replacing them with avatars!!
VAR should be simplified to goal line decisions and offsides (even that needs looking at ).
Every decision comes down now to how said individual who is sat in the VAR room interprets each decision,you can have “say” one handball one week that gets a penalty the next week same incident,no penalty .
For me all onfield decisions like fouls in and out of the box should be final on what the REF as gone with at that moment in time .
VAR Pretty much sucks the enjoyment out of the game ,you cannnot celebrate a goal knowing VAR might have found a foul 4 mins earlier .
Maybe it’s just the Prem because it seems to work everywhere Else in the world .
Sorry but all this hate on VAR simply does not make sense.
The problem is we introduced VAR because refereeing decisions were being seen via replays and being missed in real time. VAR has made good calls as well as bad but I doubt going back to square one will make people happier.
I mean they could always just apply the rules properly and fairly…
Just a thought.
Spot on 🎯🎯