“Take a look at this,” Howard Webb says in reference to the decision made against Liverpool when the VAR audio is made public.

Although he acknowledges that the game referees ought to have called timeout far sooner, Howard Webb feels that Crystal Palace’s Saturday afternoon penalty against Liverpool was the correct call.

“Take a look at this,” Howard Webb says in reference to the decision made against Liverpool when the VAR audio is made public.

A spot-kick for the host team was awarded in the second half following a video review by VAR of a foul committed by Jarell Quansah on Jean-Philippe Mateta within the penalty area. After the incident, this was examined as the game continued. Eventually, one minute and forty-five seconds later, play was stopped so that referee Andy Madley could examine the video.

After examining the pitchside monitor, Madley made the final verdict, which gave Palace a penalty. Chief of PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) Webb concurred with this decision, but he also acknowledged that there shouldn’t have been a nearly two-minute wait before taking any action.

 

In the most recent episode of “Match Officials Mic’d Up,” he shared his thoughts on the incident, saying, “I think that’s a very clear penalty-kick situation.” The VAR is there to look for any evidence of Quansah’s strong contact with Mateta’s back, even though Mateta was the only player to touch the ball. The on-field referee was not able to witness it in real time.

Naturally, play carries on as the referee dismisses the penalty appeal. While the game is still in progress, the VAR is examining the available angles to determine whether there is an evident error, and it determines that there is. Then you hear him remark, “I’m checking the APP [attacking phase of play],” to the referee. He already has the impression at that time that he will send the referee to the screen. To ensure that there isn’t an offside in the build-up, which would invalidate the penalty, or another offense by the attacking team, he must examine the play period prior to the penalty.

 

“I think a better way to do this would be to stop the game at that moment, as soon as the VARs recognise that a review is going to be needed for the penalty,” said Webb. That puts a halt to further gameplay and dispels the impression that checking this is taking a long time. And that’s what we’d prefer to see going forward, in my opinion: the game being stopped as soon as VAR suggests it or determines that a review is necessary before it can be recommended. And while the APP is being verified at that same moment, we send the referee to the screen. It would somewhat increase the process’s efficiency.

 

Quansah describes it as a significant and profound contact in the calf. Mateta plays the ball, and sure enough, there should have been a penalty given for a clear and blatant error. It’s kind of a sliding scale; sometimes we’ll see contact that is less significant and less frequent than that, but eventually it will become offensive, and this is definitely one of those instances, in my opinion.”

 

Audio exchanged during the penalty incident between the match officials:

VAR: Potential fine.

 

Ref: Nothing there, nothing that I can see.

 

VAR: Merely verifying the potential penalty.

 

Ref: Regards, my friend.

 

VAR: After the attacker plays the ball, the question is whether the force of the touch causes him to fall to the ground since it appears like he was kicked.

 

VAR: Alright. Simply return to GDS. Take a quick look at this. The ball is played by the attacker. The right leg is kicked by that collision.

 

Assistant VAR (AVAR): Certainly.

 

VAR: What do you observe?

 

AVAR: That’s exactly what it is.

 

VAR: The attacker is playing the ball, and he takes a big kick to the calf that knocks him down.

 

AVAR: Indeed.

 

 

VAR: Do you concur?

 

AVAR: I do concur, yes. He trips over him. I don’t know if that will cause him to fall to the ground, but yeah.

 

 

VAR: Stop the game, stop the game, stop the game, Mads [Madley]. I’m going to suggest that a possible penalty be reviewed on the field.

 

Ref: Alright, so I’m giving you a fine and no more punishment. Content with that?

 

VAR. Verified, verified.

 

Ref: I see. I’m grateful. Alright.