VAR: Former Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith proposes change to appeals system
- Published
VAR has been a hotly debated topic since its introduction to Scottish football in 2022
Former Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith was one of the original promoters of video assistant referees but thinks "the operation of it is not working".
But, rather than scrap VAR, the former Rangers midfielder has proposed a change to an appeals system similar to tennis.
Smith recalled it was what he proposed to governing body Fifa back in 2009.
"I've always been totally in favour of VAR," he told BBC Radio Scotland.
"It's not a great thing if you are part of a team that can maybe qualify a World Cup or win a cup and a decision, that you could appeal, has cost you something you have waited your whole career to win. But it's how VAR is operated that I don't think is good."
Smith revealed his motivation was what is regarded by many as a major football injustice.
"It was 2009 when I first proposed this," he told Sportsound. "I was on the Fifa football committee - it was all ex-players on it - and it was just after France had qualified for the World Cup on the basis of a goal they scored against Republic of Ireland when Thierry Henry handled the ball, played the ball across and France scored.
"Ireland went out of the World Cup because of that. What I said at the meeting was that there were millions of people watching that on TV knowing that that goal should be disallowed and the referee has not been told.
"I therefore proposed that they should be able to look at it retrospectively and make a decision on it. What I initially proposed was that the technical area of each club should have two appeals per game based on when they want VAR to look at."
Smith suggests it would be up to the team bench to raise a flag to officials should they think an incident should be reviewed on screen.
"Like tennis, if they get their appeal correct, they keep those two appeals," he said. "That would reduce the number of incidents being looked at.
"A lot of technical areas have screens already where they can watch replays."
Clyde manager Ian McCall thought the appeal proposal "makes sense" but admitted he is more in favour of ending the use of VAR completely.
"I just think it is another way of slowing down and complicating an otherwise simple game," the former Dunfermline Athletic and Rangers winger added.
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