“The referee is wrong and the VAR, too”

Velasco Carballo, President of the Technical Committee of Referees, has made the assessment of the refereeing season. With him he has been Carlos Clos Gómez, responsible for the VAR. Velasco Carballo wanted to start by highlighting that “4,442 video clips have been supervised, sharing 946 clips with the referees, in order to achieve zero error and unification of criteria. The season started with a tremendous technological challenge, with 52 days. 10 games have been made at a time from the VOR room. It has been a difficult, atypical season, with the referees three months off the pitch, with more media noise than we would like and good for the competition. ”

From there, Velasco Carballo has considered that in this campaign, the referees “have carried out the work in a climate far above the reality of what was happening. A lot of tension and a complicated climate for the refereeing collective, ”he assured, to add that“ objectively, the success rates have been very high, higher than the previous one and the assistants have had spectacular statistics, improving their percentage by 2% compared to last year”.

Objectively, the success rates have been very high, higher than the previous one and the assistants have had spectacular statistics

Velasco Carballo He continued with his assessment, ensuring that “the VAR has helped correct more errors. The referees have been more successful than ever, the assistants too and the VAR too. In 2020 there have been fewer mistakes than ever in football history. The errors of before remained in the field, today they are solved thanks to the VAR, hundreds of them. There have never been fewer mistakes in football. “

The president of the Technical Committee of Referees He has made it clear that “we were wrong to say that the VAR is not zero error, it is a tool to help. The VAR cannot fix all the errors, all the manifests. The VAR is a person, it is not a machine and the VAR is also wrong, on rare occasions, but it also is. We have to be honest. The referee is wrong and the VAR, too. You have to be honest and recognize what everyone can see. We are self-critical. Clear mistakes have been made in not correcting a play and in entering a play that has not been clear and manifest. It must also be recognized that there are now two media criticisms, “he said. Velasco Carballo.

We were wrong to say that VAR is not zero error, it is a tool for help. The VAR cannot fix all the errors, all the manifests. The VAR is a person, it is not a machine and the VAR is also wrong

The president of the CTA also wanted to send a message to critics, including managers, players and the media. “The VAR shows the recognition of the rules of football. Successes of the referees and the VARs become errors and then criticism, later in controversy, in statistical data, in press releases … one starts with a success and comes to a scandal. It has happened and on many occasions. The knowledge of our referees has been questioned and I will not allow it. Those statements and those criticisms have never been erased when it started with extraordinary successes, ”he sentenced.

The VAR shows the recognition of the rules of soccer. The successes of the referees and the VARs become errors and then criticism, later controversial

In that sense, Velasco Carballo iHe insisted that “I, as president, do not allow the knowledge of our arbitrators to be doubted. The great point of improvement or consensus may be the concept of clear and manifest error. Out of 825 plays we've had we can discuss about 15 or 30. Let's be ambitious but rigorous in criticism and honest to recognize the benefits. The VAR objectively helps football and doubting that it helps is not wanting to see a reality ”