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VAR is a disgrace. (n/t) by grow_our_own 10 May 22:05
While being on-balance a VAR advocate, I do get the criticism that it compromises goal joy. Everything being reviewed is too much. You're never quite sure if a goal has been scored.

Limited captain challenges is the solution. One total or one per half. Ball in net and no challenge signal from captain = goal. Simple. Everyone can see the captain on the pitch, so it's clear. The players know whether there's been an injustice without having to watch a replay, and captain is closer to the ref to quickly raise a challenge than manager. No back-and-forth to the bench, waiting for manager to watch his own replay on a tablet causing further delay.

Right now football is played by 22 professional cheats. Diving used to be criticised by the British as something only continental Europeans did, now we do it as much as anyone. I'd dive too in the current rules. Diving, complaining to the ref, and getting into his head that he's biased pays. You're more likely to get favourable decisions and win. Now imagine a world where a diver, who knows he's dived, asks his captain to challenge. Captain challenge is rejected bc it was a dive. Diver feels an idiot because he has been an idiot. Team has lost a precious challenge. In reality, they won't appeal, and won't dive in the first place especially if they know oppo captain has all-important challenge remaining. Quantity of cheating will reduce massively. Football is improved.

Side-beneift: teams are rewarded for having at least one player with a brain: the captain. Reputation of footballers being thick is reduced. Right now captains' formal responsibilities don't go much beyond calling a coin toss. Players become more central in the process instead of decisions exclusively by faceless bureaucrats sitting in an office somewhere.

[Post edited 17 May 16:30]

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