Video review. We need to do it more, but not like American Football does it this year...

In the NFL video review started off very efficiently and was limited to "challenges" by the coaches, risking losing a timeout if they lost the challenge. Then it was also applicable by officials but only used in circumstances where there was some doubt, and on all scoring plays. That was really successful. They had a video booth on the side where the officials would go and check it. However, now Microsoft got involved and provided Surface tablets with what looks like a massive Google Cardboard around it, and some bloke is rolled out onto the field wearing this thing around his neck.

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This accessibility seems to have stimulated video review of almost f**king everything and it is now disrupting the flow of a game which was already a barrier for a lot of potential fans. It's dragging games out and we're seeing some bizarre decisions (e.g. turning what looked like a touchdown into possession for the other team). It's like they are always looking for a reason to change the call.

Am a big fan of goal line technology and think it should be applied to the touchlines and sidelines too. Video review should be used for penalty decisions / potentially disallowed goals and perhaps also red card decisions. But I really hope they don't go down the route the NFL have gone. They really need to scale it back.

You can't really do the "challenge" in football - what would be the penalty for losing the challenge? Losing one substitution perhaps but that would be far too harsh. So you might (for example) also get players diving in the penalty area when their team is leading late in the game, wasting time on the review and hoping it's not all added on at the end for example.

Posted By: Steve in Holland, Jan 8, 11:34:01