Today the linesman grined after two soft calls against us and after an offside call, he turned around, smiled and twinked. He seemed to enjoy his decisions against us....
VAR and Refereeing 2025/26 | General Discussion
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
So they can now stop the game and make subjective decisions on violent play yet when a clear push on Amad was committed in the Bournemouth game we are told there wasn't enough force in it. How many calls have they just denied showing us?
I feel VAR has enabled the refs to direct any game however they wish with no consequences.
It's like a giant experiment in gaslighting.
Either some kind of evil social experiment or real corruption for Betting purposes.
Surely incompetency wouldn't occur so regularly?
I feel VAR has enabled the refs to direct any game however they wish with no consequences.
It's like a giant experiment in gaslighting.
Either some kind of evil social experiment or real corruption for Betting purposes.
Surely incompetency wouldn't occur so regularly?
ABU in full force.
Who was on VAR? They’re to blame more than the ref for the red. We all know they won’t go against what they’re saying to them. An absolute piss take however it shouldn’t take away too much from a dire performance.
How many years have we been forced to watch our inept refs misuse VAR and make a mess game after game? It's just part of the parcel of the PL now, and it's such a shame.
It is very unfair to give a red card for hair pulling. It was a poor decision. If one has to play a team of players full of long hairs, the possibility of unconsciously pulling of hair will happen.
I think United are now targeted by the referees after their official complain on the Bournemouth game. It will be a hard road onwards as they are now playing teams with 13 players.
I think United are now targeted by the referees after their official complain on the Bournemouth game. It will be a hard road onwards as they are now playing teams with 13 players.
that free kick he gave against Amad just before he came off....
Imagine giving Shaw a free kick for that if Okafor had knocked him over.
I'm not really sure we can moan about the red. Braindead decision by Martinez to do that. The elbow in Yoros face is the one I struggle to understand how that wasn't reviewed.
By the letter of the law (and from the official Premier League website)
https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4079974
Violent Conduct Red Cards for hair pulls have been the norm for a couple years now, and VAR is only going to increase the number that get given.
https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4079974
Violent Conduct Red Cards for hair pulls have been the norm for a couple years now, and VAR is only going to increase the number that get given.
The problem is, they don't consistently give them. Which is why it's a joke.
Except there was literally no force. I'm not even sure there was a pulling motion. The damn bun barely got messed up
If you have a shit hair cut you should have to wear a swimming cap.
Please where is the "force" here ? Do you take into account that Martinez was off balance ? That both players were grappling, and DCL put his hand on Martinez's face and hairs ?
Pulling hair is fecking dangerous because it yanks the neck back into an unnatural position. Lisandro didn't really use much force but it was still dangerous and I get why there should be a zero tolerance policy towards it.
Lisandro is just plain reckless and he's just not cut out for the premier league. We've been here before with him in times where he's got away with these kinds of incidents.
But yeah, both Leeds goals should have been ruled out for clear fouls. That's the issue for me.
Lisandro is just plain reckless and he's just not cut out for the premier league. We've been here before with him in times where he's got away with these kinds of incidents.
But yeah, both Leeds goals should have been ruled out for clear fouls. That's the issue for me.
Was he not challenging for the ball?
John brooks
A Leeds player was penalised for a foul throw - and rightly so. But later in the game the same player (I think) did the same again - and nothing! Its the inconsistency that drives us crazy.
I recall a similar incident with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella where an opponent pulled his long hair during a match. I couldn’t remember if it happened in the EPL or elsewhere, but the lack of a proper call was frustrating.
Regarding the recent red card decision, it was absolutely ridiculous—even Lisandro Martinez seemed confused as to why it was given. If VAR has the power to stop play at any time and ask the referee to review a foul, then they should be consistent. For instance, the foul by the Leeds player on Yoro that led to their first goal, and the foul on Bruno before their second, should both have been reviewed. If a decision is made not to call a foul, the reasoning should be made public.
Once again, the VAR system (which I call 'Very Awful Referee') needs a serious overhaul. As it stands, VAR has become a tool that dictates the direction of games and allows for favoritism.
Regarding the recent red card decision, it was absolutely ridiculous—even Lisandro Martinez seemed confused as to why it was given. If VAR has the power to stop play at any time and ask the referee to review a foul, then they should be consistent. For instance, the foul by the Leeds player on Yoro that led to their first goal, and the foul on Bruno before their second, should both have been reviewed. If a decision is made not to call a foul, the reasoning should be made public.
Once again, the VAR system (which I call 'Very Awful Referee') needs a serious overhaul. As it stands, VAR has become a tool that dictates the direction of games and allows for favoritism.
-make a clear action to pull the hair of an opponent or any other person with force
I think it’s nonsense to apply that for situations like yesterday. It was accidental while he was out of balance trying to challenge for the ball, nor was there much/any force involved. They try to show common sense when it comes to elbows/hands, instead of calling it violent conduct every time someone is accidentally hit, not sure what someone thinks it should be the opposite for hair pulling.
For some odd reason we keep being fecked over with things like this. Dalots sending off against Liverpool, Casemiro, as well.
Carragher is spot on, Gary Neville is just being himself.
I think it’s nonsense to apply that for situations like yesterday. It was accidental while he was out of balance trying to challenge for the ball, nor was there much/any force involved. They try to show common sense when it comes to elbows/hands, instead of calling it violent conduct every time someone is accidentally hit, not sure what someone thinks it should be the opposite for hair pulling.
For some odd reason we keep being fecked over with things like this. Dalots sending off against Liverpool, Casemiro, as well.
Carragher is spot on, Gary Neville is just being himself.
what could the reason beExactly - so Martinez one isn’t a red card on the wording of the rule, as that would be exactly the type of incident where the “hair pull” is not “with force”.
Hair pull is violent conduct and a red, has already happened this season and in the past to Cucurella.
This is quite a tame hair pull so it feels harsh. More so because VAR ignores lots of other stuff, especially at set pieces. VAR isn't a fair system and should be scrapped.
This is quite a tame hair pull so it feels harsh. More so because VAR ignores lots of other stuff, especially at set pieces. VAR isn't a fair system and should be scrapped.
It's a self serving joke. Jobs for refs and all that. Dying to justify it's relevance for more pay. VAR out.
Again, read the wording of the rule. A “tame” hair pull is not a red card.
Because it’s football. Those challenges happen all over the pitch, all of the time.
Cucurella literally got yanked backwards violently. THAT is the definition of violent conduct.
Martinez barely stroked the guys ponytail. Not a pull, not with force. Barely even "clear action". In the wording on the premier league site, that has been posted multiple times now - "make a clear action to pull the hair of an opponent or any other person with force" - there are literally three different discretionary assessments that can be applied.
And do you know what's in the same bloody text? "deliberately strike an opponent or any other person on the head or face with their hand or arm, unless the force used was negligible" and "clearly make forceful contact by holding or grabbing the throat/neck area, or gouges the eye of an opponent or any other person" - i.e. Yoro situation on 1-0 AND what CDL did to Martinez right before he stroked the end of his ponytail.
So PGMOL can go read their own definitions of violent conduct perhaps, and then try them out on some of the other teams every once in a while. On top of the appalling missed call on Amad's penalty 74 weeks ago or whenever we last played a game, this adds to the pile.
I dunno. By the letter of the law it's a foul but if we scored it and VAR ruled it out (which I have no doubt it would) I'd be ranting about the game going soft.
The frustration is one incident has been ruled to the letter of the law and the other wasn't.
He challenged for the ball and there was no force. Thanks for pointing out it was awful decision
Probably best to not pull peoples hair then, just in case.
The foul on Yoro not being given was the big reffing mistake you guys should be mad about. Terrible decision.
I disagree. Don’t think it should have been given as a foul. Would agree it looks ‘wrong’ like the challenges after a shot has got off but I just don’t think it’s a foul and it shouldn’t be
We spend a lot of time about how the game is getting softer, if that is given, the game would be stopped constantly.
I do agree that Yoro could, maybe should, have made more of a meal out of it but again, if I’m honest, I would rather United players didn’t go down that route and start acting like that
Come off it. In terms of the potential for “violent conduct” to cause injury hair pulling is the least dangerous by far. So much so that it’s bizarre for it to get a specific mention by IFAB. Contact with the head or (another specialty of DCL) backing into a player in the air has a genuine risk of causing serious injury. Nobody has ever been seriously injured by getting their hair pulled, on or off a football pitch.
Obviously. If it had been given immediately by the ref and then not overturned by VAR, I would be fine with this. But to call the ref to the screen for that slight touch is insane to me.
For the second part, I would point you to the very next post I made.
You “don’t think there’s much” in someone running full steam and elbowing someone in the head, as he’s trying to clear a ball with his head ? Resulting in the clearance landing on someone’s foot to be scored with ?
They do - and they're usually given as fouls.
Shouldn't kick people either, oh wait accidents happen and thats recognised in the rules
Let’s agree to disagree then!!
Calvert-Lewins a prick so this isn't a hill im going to die on
They're sometimes given and sometimes not.
Kicking is part of the game. Using your hands to grab isn't.
Or missed by the referee. Which is fine. If only there was some sort of technology to take a closer look when one of those incidents directly leads to a goal.