Last update on.From section Premier LeagueOfficials are instructed not to penalise "trivial" things and that the use of the VAR (video assistant referee) will be 'dialled back.Referees won't be able to give the same penalty as Raheem Sterling, England's semi-finalist in Euro 2020 against Denmark.Sterling won a spot-kick late in the game, but there was very little contact.Mike Riley, chief referee, said that contact alone is not enough to determine what referees should be looking for.They should ask themselves whether the contact has a consequence and then determine if that contact was used to win a foul, or penalty."It doesn't suffice to just say, 'Yes there's contact. Partially, I believe that we were influenced by the forensic analysis used to determine VAR awards."If you have clear contact with someone that has a consequence, you can penalize them. You're less likely than others to be punished if you have any doubts about these elements."I believe it moves the dial back to where we were in a prior-VAR world. We don't want trivial matters to be penalised."Three VARs are requiredVAR was introduced in the Premier League in 2019 in order to review "clear, obvious errors" in four of the game's most important incidents, including goals, penalties and straight red cards.Last summer, however, there were changes made. Assistant referees were told to use pitchside monitors and referees were encouraged to use them more. Goalkeepers were also monitored to ensure they kept their lines during penalties.Riley, the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, said he had always believed it would take three to five years to put in VAR. He believes that cricket and rugby took seven long years to reach what he called "a good place" using video technology.Many felt that decisions were made more quickly and with less argument during Euro 2020 than they were in the Premier League last year.Riley believes the comparison is unfair.At least eight officials were involved in VAR during the summer, as opposed to three for each Premier League match.Riley feels that tournament football, where bookings can have an immediate consequence in the form of missing key matches, is played in a completely different manner to domestic action.On average, VAR made one match-deciding decision during Euro 2020, as opposed to three for Premier League matches.One element of the summer will however be added.It will not be possible to see the tedious process of lines being drawn on TV screens as VAR makes its offside decisions. Television viewers will instead see the final result, just like at the Euros.What's new in 2021-2022?Handball and offside calls are the most contentious aspects in VAR, aside from the time it takes to make decisions.Both have been modified in Riley's opinion to improve the season 2021-22.Handball:How does body movement affect the position of the arm or hand?Are the proportions of the body becoming unnaturally larger?For accidental handball:If an attacker scores immediately or shortly after the ball touches an arm or hand, it is considered an offense.The penalty Leeds had conceded to Liverpool in September wouldn't be paid, because Mo Salah flung the ball off Robin Koch and his arm.Also, Wolves' Max Kilman wouldn't be punished for his handball against Leicester. His arm would be considered natural and he would not be penalized.OffsidesNow, there is no doubt that attacking sides have the benefit of doubt.Riley stated, "The noses and toenails that were offside last season won't be so next year.""We will continue following the same process last year. You'll apply the pixels lines, then place the attacking and defending lines on top and then add the thicker broadcast line. However, if they overlap with each other, the situation will be considered as onside.Riley believes that 20 goals were disallowed by Riley using "quite enough forensic scrutiny".Clear offsides are now easier to flag for assistant referees, and not wait until they're wrong.Riley believes that'semiautomated' methods for measuring offside could be available in the 2022-23 season. This would decrease the decision time from 34 seconds to five.The systems that would enable this are still being tested. They may not work in areas with heavy penalties, so officials will need to be involved. However, Fifa, the world governing body, wants it in place before the next World Cup in Qatar.Do you have any other suggestions?
