VAR ‘doing its job’ despite gripes, Scottish FA chief Ian Maxwell says | Football

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell insists the implementation of VAR has served its purpose despite criticism surrounding its use.

The technology was introduced in the Premiership in late October but there have been a range of gripes from managers, players and fans over certain decisions and the length of time taken for incidents to be checked.

Maxwell admits there have been ‘challenges’ in the early weeks of VAR but says the system is resulting in more correct calls being made.

‘VAR’s been good,’ said the SFA chief. ‘It’s done what it should do. The technology has worked and the number of correct decisions has increased in line with the global standard, in terms of taking it from 92 per cent correct decisions up to 98 per cent.

‘That’s what has happened here, but in typical Scottish football fashion we’re spending a lot of time talking about less decisions because there is always going to be that subjective element to some decisions.

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‘The technology has worked. The clubs have invested heavily in the technology and infrastructure that is required. The system is good.

‘We’re always going to have one or two decisions people think could have been made differently but that’s part of VAR across the globe. We’re not any different from anybody else.

‘We’ve seen examples (at the World Cup) of challenges with VAR round about handball and penalties.’

Maxwell is confident concerns about VAR in Scotland will dissipate once everyone adapts to it.

‘Uefa said when we were about to implement it that in every country there has been a period of settling in where everybody’s had to get used to it,’ he said. ‘I think there is a perception that it’s going to cure all ills and there will never be a wrong decision made, but that’s just not the reality.

‘The longer we’ve got it, the more fans can get used to it and the slicker we can be in term of its use and the amount of time it takes to check decisions. That will help improve the experience, but fundamentally it’s about getting decisions right on a matchday and that’s what we’re seeing.’