Bournemouth v Wolves: FA Cup VAR check takes record eight minutes
The Football Association said the record eight-minute VAR shutdown in Bournemouth’s FA Cup fifth round against Wolves was caused by a crowded free throw area.
It was the first weekend of a semi-automated offside system trialed in British football, which should cut the decision time by 30 seconds.
Officials were unable to rely on the technology during the check and needed to resume manual drawing of the line before not taking on Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez’s 35th minute goal.
Dean Huijsen was considered offside when Kerks’ effort swung his shoulders.
But with the video assistant referee (VAR) pairing Timothy Wood and Darren England performing two different handball checks (including two different checks against Huijsen) before tight offside calls.
Wolf supporters did not celebrate the decision to benefit their team and allied with family supporters by chanting “It’s no longer football” and “It’s embarrassing.”
During the break in the game, referee Sam Barrott explained the manager and the players, while some on the court chose to re-warm up habits.
In March 2024, the longest VAR check before was five minutes and 37 seconds in the Premier League match between West Ham and Aston Villa.
FA’s semi-automated offset bottom interpreter says: “Most offside decisions will be faster, but VAR still has the option to use Crosshairs as a backup if needed.
“This process may be needed in the ‘Edge Case’, where several players block the view of the ball or other players on the system camera. This may sometimes lead to the check length we’ve seen in a specific scheme before, and VAR checks the close-up distance.
“The length of certain VAR checks may also remain in situations where decisions require consideration of multiple offside checks or other crimes, such as other crimes or handballs.”
The semi-automated offset measure was originally introduced in the Premier League last year, but this was delayed.
Friday’s FA Cup Game Aston Villa and Cardiff It was the first time British football has used it – no problem.
It is used only in seven of the fifth rounds of the eight FA Cups, as the Preston Championship Club does not have the right technique.
The Premier League said this week: “After successful real-time operation at the FA Cup, the Premier League will hope to implement the system later this season.”
Champions League La Liga and Serie A- have used semi-automated deputy in the 2022 World Cup football match.
