Nobody wants to go back to the days of blatantly wrong decisions deciding cup finals. But after five years of VAR, the conversation has shifted. Fans aren't asking whether the technology is right - they're asking why it takes four minutes to get there.
The momentum problem
Football is a game of rhythm. A long stoppage doesn't just slow the match down - it changes the emotional contract between the supporters and the action. Goals lose their meaning when celebrations are postponed.
What needs to change
- A 60-second hard limit on routine reviews.
- Stadium announcements explaining what is being checked.
- An end to forensic frame-by-frame reviews of marginal offsides.
VAR was always meant to be the safety net, not the show. It's time the protocols caught up with the principle.