Why did VAR take 5 minutes to make an offside decision for Erling Haaland?

The VAR took five minutes because the semi-automated offside technology failed, requiring officials to manually draw lines to determine the offside call.

What happened when the semi-automated offside technology failed in the match?

When the technology failed, VAR Stuart Attwell had to manually draw lines to assess Erling Haaland's offside position and impact on play.

Was the offside decision against Erling Haaland correct despite the delay?

Yes, technically the decision was correct, as Erling Haaland was found to be offside by a very slight margin and impacting play.

Home / Sports / VAR Nightmare: Haaland Offside Call Sparks 5-Minute Fury

VAR Nightmare: Haaland Offside Call Sparks 5-Minute Fury

14 Jan

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Summary

VAR took five minutes to rule Haaland offside due to technology failure.
Referee manually drew lines to determine a marginal offside decision.
The incident caused significant delay and frustration for fans.

VAR Nightmare: Haaland Offside Call Sparks 5-Minute Fury

A controversial VAR decision in a recent match saw a goal disallowed for a marginal offside against Erling Haaland, leading to a lengthy five-minute delay. The incident occurred when the semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) failed, forcing VAR officials to manually draw lines to determine the outcome. This manual process, intended to assist the on-field referee, Chris Kavanagh, and VAR, Stuart Attwell, resulted in significant scrutiny.

Attwell had to assess both Haaland's offside position and his impact on the defender's ability to play the ball. While Haaland was deemed to be offside by the slightest margin and hindering play, the reliance on manual intervention due to SAOT failure created a 'nightmare situation.' The correct decision was technically reached, but the extended delay caused discomfort for all involved, particularly the fans.