Neil Lennon is backing the SFA for creating VAR specialists ahead of the new season but he’d love to see ex-players involved and reckons the technology still has a long way to go.
The former Celtic boss is welcoming the new policy of making top referees like Greg Aitken and Andrew Dallas, who would otherwise move down the pecking order on the pitch, into full-time video assistants
But Lennon is also following many leading football people who believe utilising the knowledge of recently retired stars in the studios at Strathclyde House would help officials come to the right decisions. He also insists offside and handball are still the burning issues of the game.
Lennon told altindex: “I’m all for the SFA taking refs off the pitch and making VAR specialists. That seems like a good idea.
“They’re fresh from working in big games and they’ll know all the laws and changes inside out.
“But I am also totally behind an ex-player being involved in the studio with the VAR officials because they can offer a better feel for the game and for certain incidents.
“I’d love to see them giving their input and the officials would then have a professional insight to use rather than just the laws of the game.
“Overall VAR needs a bit of work – as it has done in all leagues – but the bottom line is in many instances it’s still down to the referee and his interpretation of things.
“There is no doubt that VAR has helped with getting decisions right but where it frustrates me is offside and handball.
“The lines that they draw and then it’s down to millimetres, I don’t think that’s in the spirit in the game.
“And although it’s not a VAR thing, the fact that a linesman keeps his flag down for an offside decision until there is a break in play is totally frustrating for everyone, players included.
“If it is an obvious offside, the flag should go up right away and we can all get on with the game.
“I was at the Ross County-Thistle play-off game at the end of last season and there were a lot of VAR interventions in that one. I watched them again when I got home and I didn’t agree with some of them, so it’s still down to the referee’s interpretation on the day.
“I think hand ball is the biggest problem. It’s such a grey area. Again, it seems to be down to interpretation. One referee gives a decision one week for a certain incident and the following week another referee doesn’t for the same thing.
“The governing bodies have to look at it – and the referees’ association – to try to come up with clearer guidelines because it is still very muddled.”
