VAR World Cup 2022: Why was Anthony Taylor told to use the monitor to check offside during Croatia v Belgium
:focal(145x121:147x119)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/07/15/3411067-69701524-310-310.jpg)
Updated 01/12/2022 at 16:24 GMT
There was more VAR controversy at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as Anthony Taylor overturned his own decision to award a penalty to Croatia. However, the process was strange as he ruled out the penalty due to an offside but was told by VAR officials to go to the monitor. Normally, VAR simply tells the referee whether a player is offside or onside without needing to check.
'It would be nice to bring World Cup trophy home in spare case' - England's Rice
More VAR controversy struck the 2022 World Cup, this time in the group stage clash between Croatia and Belgium when last year's European runners-up had a penalty overturned.
In the 15th minute, Belgium’s Yannick Carrasco clipped Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric inside the penalty box just after a free kick.
Referee Anthony Taylor immediately pointed to the spot to award a penalty for a foul, with Luka Modric ready to take it against his Real Madrid team-mate Thibaut Courtois.
Modric waited for Taylor to blow his whistle but it became clear VAR were looking into something.
Over a minute after Modric had placed the ball on the spot, Taylor was told to go to the monitor at the side of the pitch.
It appeared that the referee wasn’t looking at whether their was a foul but if the initial free kick was offside.
Usually, for offsides, VAR tells the referee whether the player is onside or not.
Former footballer and now commentator Jermaine Jenas was baffled by the situation.
“I don’t get this process,” he said on the BBC. “I thought it was all done by technology this offside. It’s either offside or not.
“What are we doing getting Anthony Taylor to go over the monitor for? To give his opinion for it? So confusing.
“I’d love to know and have some form of explanation why he’s gone over. Is it to check for a foul or an offside?
“The pictures we are seeing it’s for offside so why are they not just telling him it’s offside, not a penalty. Did they [VAR] not tell them that two minutes ago?”
However, there is a rule which states the referee can use the monitor for an offside decision when the alleged offending player doesn’t touch the ball.
Taylor decided Jan Vertonghen was offside by a tiny margin so reversed the decision to award a penalty which infuriated the Croatian players.
The offside was marginal and Gary Lineker was not pleased about Taylor's call due to how tight it was.
“This is the absurdity of the offside law," said Lineker. "Is it [the judgement] the top of the shoulder, the bottom of the shoulder, where your T-shirt ends? Where do you define it?
“How can they tell? I know they have automated offside but quite frankly if a captain has got an armband on, what about that? It’s become silly.
“It’s called football, why don’t they use the feet [to judge for offsides]. It would be so much simpler.”
The decision was made more complicated by a potential foul by Vertonghen on Dejan Lovren when the pair battled to get to the ball.
However, Taylor did not look at this and instead was told to investigate the offside.
- - -
To celebrate the 2022 World Cup, we have launched our new bracket game, where you can give your predictions, challenge friends and create mini-leagues.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement