THE VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE AFTER WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE

The Video Assistant Referee system, known as VAR, is football's first use of video technology to reach more correct decisions. The system was trialled in the FA and Carabao Cups last season, as well as the German and Italian leagues. The system has already been used in the World Cup group stage to correct and clarify decisions, including Diego Costa's first goal against Portugal, France's penalty against Australia as well as Sweden's penalty against South Korea.
The introduction of VAR was always going to be a key talking point at this World Cup and it has certainly added to the drama and controversy throughout. The delays have frustrated some and the decisions have baffled others - with the penalty calls against Denmark and Portugal, in particular, leading some to conclude that the system has disappointed.
The technology has been used at the tournament for the first time and it has been under the spotlight after being called on for a number of important decisions. Perhaps the most controversial decision made after the use of VAR was to award Iran a penalty for handball in their 1-1 draw with Portugal in the group stage.
There have also been complaints VAR has sometimes not been called on to review decisions such as holding in the area - on Harry Kane and Aleksandar Mitrovic for example. However, VAR cannot remove human error. When decisions are thought to have been wrong this has been despite the referee having the benefit of the VAR not because of it. Ultimately, the technology has helped to overturn numerous calls that were initially incorrect and therefore led to fairer outcomes than would otherwise have been the case.
South Korea's significant winner against Germany was wrongly disallowed for offside before VAR revealed the error. Colombia's Davinson Sanchez was incorrectly adjudged to have conceded a penalty against Senegal that could have eliminated them had the decision not been reversed.
One of the features of the tournament has been the number of penalties awarded so far. Only 13 penalties were given at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with 15 awarded in 2010. Seventeen - all scored - were given in 1998, while the previous record was the tally of 18 from 2002. One of the chief reasons for the increase this time around is surely VAR - 10 of the penalties awarded so far at this World Cup have come after a VAR review.
During the group stages in Russia, only three players received a red card - Carlos Sanchez, Jerome Boateng and Igor Smolnikov. While the chance to take a second look at decisions has increased the number of penalties, red cards are trending in the opposite direction as the number of players who have been sent off at this World Cup has decreased. That is the fewest number of red cards during the group stages of a World Cup since three men were also sent off in 1982. There were nine reds in 2014, 13 in 2010 and 18 in 2006.
There have been some examples of leniency thus far in Russia too. Gerard Pique got away with a two-footed challenge against Morocco, while Cristiano Ronaldo was fortunate to escape a red card for a swing of the arm against Iran on the same evening. But with not a single straight red for violent conduct in the group stage, it seems that VAR has had an impact.
However, The time it takes for decisions to be reached disrupts the flow of the match. Some games with VAR in use have produced five or six minutes of first-half stoppage time. The spontaneous joy of goal celebrations being lost due to the possibility of a review, detrimental to the atmosphere in stadiums. World Cup referees lacking experience of the technology.