Really good study Kaleb and a great question to ask. The contrast with goal-line tech is such a good one: I see goal-line tech as a calculator - it speeds up the process towards an objective truth (hard to argue with and universally agreed) whereas VAR is more like an interpreter - same input, potentially varying outcomes, guaranteed subjectivity. I've come to accept VAR, and it does work fairly well now, but it has changed a lot about the game, and as a matchgoing fan I preferred it before.
Really appreciate you taking the time to read it, Shane. I like the calculator comparison, especially when we start looking at the more subjective decisions VAR is asked to make.
Your last point is what I keep coming back to. It’s entirely possible to recognize that VAR is correcting mistakes while still preferring the experience of watching football without it. I’m not sure we’ve worked out how to properly measure that trade-off yet.
I think you've nailed it there. It's possible to make the game 'better' (whatever that means) while also making it less enjoyable for fans. I'm sure an AI Super-Robot XI with perfectly-vectored first touches would be better at football, but nobody's buying tickets for it.
Really good study Kaleb and a great question to ask. The contrast with goal-line tech is such a good one: I see goal-line tech as a calculator - it speeds up the process towards an objective truth (hard to argue with and universally agreed) whereas VAR is more like an interpreter - same input, potentially varying outcomes, guaranteed subjectivity. I've come to accept VAR, and it does work fairly well now, but it has changed a lot about the game, and as a matchgoing fan I preferred it before.
Really appreciate you taking the time to read it, Shane. I like the calculator comparison, especially when we start looking at the more subjective decisions VAR is asked to make.
Your last point is what I keep coming back to. It’s entirely possible to recognize that VAR is correcting mistakes while still preferring the experience of watching football without it. I’m not sure we’ve worked out how to properly measure that trade-off yet.
I think you've nailed it there. It's possible to make the game 'better' (whatever that means) while also making it less enjoyable for fans. I'm sure an AI Super-Robot XI with perfectly-vectored first touches would be better at football, but nobody's buying tickets for it.