It is mid-August, and thank the Football Gods, both old and new, our beloved and most beautiful game is back. After City’s fourth Premier League Title in five seasons, juxtaposed with yet another, new level of heart wrenching Champions’ League disappointment, we enter this season full of promise, aspirations, alongside potential anguish, heartbreak, and controversy. No match, let alone an entire season, would be complete without a little controversy, so today we go in two-footed (studs down, of course) on officials and the Video Assistant Referee, aka, VAR.

   Technology has made historically challenging tasks effortless and eliminated much of the guess work, imprecision, and risk from our daily labors (when was the last time you unfurled your trusty Rand McNally Road Map before venturing out for a drive?) Football, like society, is awash in the latest technology: multiple cameras, vast communication networks, and cutting-edge devices. Training methods have become more effective, and statistics more granular – but perhaps no technological breakthrough has been more publicized and scrutinized than the ability to review and “correct” on-field officiating decisions via the Video Assistant Referee.

   All the world’s connectivity and accessibility has led to endless, divergent opinions on, well… everything. Fan involvement is more direct and relentless than ever before. Feelings about VAR may vacillate play to play and match to match depending how it impacts your club, but it never fails to elicit strong, vocal passion from fans: “The Ref is a blind bum!” or “Thank God for that”, or, worse, “they’ve always hated (insert your club here)! Chelsea fans suffered a master class in frustration this past week with Referee Anthony Taylor’s, as well as VAR Mike Dean’s, performance in front of the Stamford Bridge crowd. A missed foul in the buildup (maybe…), offside on a crucial goal (possibly…) and an ignored Cucurella mane tugging (too bad!) during a corner kick and stoppage time equalizer. Chelsea Manager Thomas Tuchel, who along with counterpart Antonio Conte received red cards at the end of the match, called out Taylor and League Officials, going so far to say Taylor should be barred from officiating future Chelsea matches due to his egregious performance. But is he right and is the criticism justified? Should VAR have “done more”? What errors can and can’t VAR resolve?

   First a quick primer. The VAR is a real referee, not a computer. In the Premier League, the official is sequestered in a centralized VAR hub, away from the match site. Per the Prem, the VAR “is constantly monitoring the match but will be used only for ‘clear and obvious errors’ or ‘serious missed incidents’ in four match-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents, and mistaken identity.” That’s it. There is certainly space for subjectivity with those definitions, but otherwise it is a defined set of standards and circumstances. But wait - here is the kicker: “The final decision will always be taken by the on-field referee.” The VAR can quickly assess the video and encourage the Referee to visit the pitch-side monitor for further re-evaluation. However, whether the on-field referee sees the play or not, and no matter what the VAR, the Assistant Referees, or even the Ref’s guardian angel perched upon his striped shoulder whispers in his ear, the ultimate call belongs to the man in the middle. The question is as it has always been: did he make the right call? No matter what new technology emerges, the critical decision, judgment, and common sense (or lack thereof) remains with the Referee.

   Did VAR blow the call last week and miss a chance to deny Spurs and neutral fans worldwide a thrilling equalizer on Chelsea’s home ground? Sure. Did VAR’s failure to find definitive proof of Rodri’s handball against Everton last season deny them a deserved penalty while preserving 3 points that allowed City to win the League? I couldn’t possibly comment on that. Did VAR crush City fans after Sterling seemingly scored the goal to advance City past Tottenham in the Champions League? Undoubtedly. (hmmm…is VAR a Spurs fan?) And where would world football history and folklore be without Maradona’s La Mano de Dios, which, presumably, VAR surely would have eradicated (sorry 3 Lions fans). Consider some questions as fans and lovers of the game: What do we really want? Are the calls wrong or is it the rules that need fixing? Is it better to have perfection or is the flawed, human component part of sport? And finally - Do we always want the officials to get it right, or is there a bit of larcenous delight knowing “we” got away with one? Similarly, what would we whinge about/unite over if our team didn’t get robbed by the whistle? Now where’s the fun in that?