07/15/2019
After watching the Nigeria/South Africa’s match in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, keen observers would see the power technology has brought to our football in the recently introduced VAR. VAR technology is the video assistant referee (VAR) that reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and a headset for communication.
Without VAR in world football, several decisions taken in the past by match officials were contested and thousands of dollars incurred in avoidable investigations and in most cases these wrong decisions are irreversible.
In this match, South Africa’s lone goal was almost denied simply on the basis of the Referee Assistant flagging the ball for a goal kick. The VAR technology has taken decision making to a new level far above an individual’s opinion. Decisions are now based on verifiable data eliminating mere opinion in making critical, time sensitive and very costly decisions.
Unfortunately, many corporate decisions are still based on individual opinions and not on reliable, relevant and appropriately enriched data even when cost effective available technology can simplify their critical challenges and take guess work out of serious far reaching decision making.
What’s your perspective on this VAR tool.
