# Omnibus World Football Thread 2020-2022 (edited) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [August 16, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264 "2020-08-16T15:38:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 93
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1842 "2026-05-11T18:16:42Z")
Yeah, here’s something the BBC pulled together. The wrong answer occurs once every 16 matches in each league, roughly, more frequently interventions that didn’t happen, as opposed to bad calls that did. [![](https://i.imgur.com/3YLvfaJ.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/3YLvfaJ.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1843 "2026-05-11T18:22:12Z")
Thanks, interesting, I would have thought the rate of errors was higher. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1844 "2026-05-11T18:24:28Z")
I really want this data for UCL, but alas, I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1845 "2026-05-11T18:46:24Z")
More than 10 seconds is too long. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1846 "2026-05-11T18:48:36Z")
You don’t even get restarts in 10s without VAR. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1847 "2026-05-11T18:51:31Z")
If they can publish this > **[El Barça, el equipo más perjudicado por el VAR en la Champions](https://onefootball.com/en/news/el-barca-el-equipo-mas-perjudicado-por-el-var-en-la-champions-42734568)** > > El Real Madrid es el único equipo español beneficiado por el VAR, mientras que el FC Barcelona lidera el balance de errores en contra (translation: Barça is most disadvantaged team by VAR decisions in the Champions League) it means the data exist somewhere. But the article does not link to the source. > [@Frodo](#): > > More than 10 seconds is too long. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Eh, we aren’t going to agree. I’m with **Maserschmidt** on that one. You’re just exagerating your Argentinianness here. Preparing the justification for your laments when you get eliminated too soon this summer. We won’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1848 "2026-05-11T18:53:10Z")
I think VAR can be summed up pretty easily. VAR is shit until your team benefits from it. Then it’s The Shit. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1849 "2026-05-11T18:53:31Z")
Nah, my problem with VAR is genuine, and if anything the whiners have been on the anti-Argentinian side for a good while now. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1850 "2026-05-11T18:53:38Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > I think that’s our main point of contention yes, I prefer wrong decisions made quickly to maybe-less-wrong-but-there’s-no-guarantee-and-it-opens-a-whole-can-of-worms-too decisions that take a lot of time. > I simply feel that being able to celebrate a goal immediately is more important that whatever VAR provides, the tradeoff is not worth it for me. Uhhh…what? The consequences of a bad call can be felt for **years or decades**. What’s the issue with waiting an extra _minute or few minutes_ for the right call, compared to years? I’d much rather that the ref take an extra twenty seconds to see that Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany was in fact good, in 2010 (had VAR existed) rather than disallow that good goal. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1851 "2026-05-11T18:54:01Z")
Football is inherently subjective when it comes to judging against the laws. Even with a million replays from multiple angles, pundits, commentators, managers and players will still argue over what the correct decision should have been. Officials can’t win whatever they do. I agreed with VAR coming in but can now freely admit that it has failed badly. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1852 "2026-05-11T18:56:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’d much rather that the ref take an extra twenty seconds to see that Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany was in fact good, in 2010 (had VAR existed) rather than disallow that good goal. Goal line tech isn’t really VAR. It’s an objective decision and one that pretty much always works (there was that one notorious exception in the Premier League where the system failed and it meant ultimately that Villa were reprieve from relegation). ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1853 "2026-05-11T18:56:31Z")
It ruins the emotion of the moment. Once upon a time the referee would blow the whistle and then you could celebrate/commiserate. Not anymore. If VAR was used only for boundary disputes (did the ball go in?) then it would be perfectly fine by me. But no, now we have given FIFA the right to decide which goals can be awarded immediately (those of teams they want to win) and which goals will be scrutinized to an inch of their life (those of teams they don’t want to win). So now not only they’ve ruined the moment of goal celebtration, they also can manipulate results with impunity. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1854 "2026-05-11T18:57:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’d much rather that the ref take an extra twenty seconds to see that Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany was in fact good, in 2010 (had VAR existed) rather than disallow that good goal. Seconding, but I fear **Frodo** is afraid the Hand of God™ would not have counted and would mostly be forgotten. Had the goal not been awarded it would be a footnote by now. And rightly so. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1855 "2026-05-11T18:59:17Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > with obvious fouls like a clear handball in the box getting picked up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1856 "2026-05-11T19:02:27Z")
Meh, Argentina would’ve been playing against 9 English players if current standards would’ve been applied against Maradona’s foulers. Remember who are the 3 most fouled against players in a world cup? 1. Maradona - Mexico 86 2. Maradona - Italia 90 3. Maradona - Spain 82 So the man decided that that injustice had to be at least compensated somehow… and the God did it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1857 "2026-05-11T19:05:35Z")
I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. To me, whether the emotion is right or wrong is more important. If a team wrongfully scored and is celebrating, then they shouldn’t be celebrating, and VAR is right to ruin their celebration. It’s worth it to get it right. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1858 "2026-05-11T19:06:55Z")
Except that at times it doesn’t, and whether it does or not is subject to the whims of the VAR team, who sometimes takes a cursory glance and sometimes turns into Sherlock Holmes for 4 minutes… ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1859 "2026-05-11T19:07:33Z")
You non sequiturous Argentinian, you! The beer offer still stands, in fact I am going to enjoy one now. But your arguments are weak and spurious. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1860 "2026-05-11T19:09:42Z")
I fail to see the non-sequitur!. You say that with VAR there would be no hand of god, surely a loss to mankind not only to Argentina, but I say that anyway it wouldn’t be so bad because we would’ve probably won that game by more goals after VAR had Butcher and Co. red carded. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264/1861 "2026-05-11T19:10:49Z")
\* if current standards applied [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264.md?page=92) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2022-edited/918264.md?page=94)