Nothing wrong with VAR apart from when it has to follow stupid laws to give so many decisions that appear dodgy to everyone. The laws of the game are dodgy, the guy in charge of the VAR for each game is left to the wolves when he gets the blame for putting into action what FIFA tell him lol

On a point of information, it is the International Football Association Board (IFAB) that is the law-making body, not FIFA. IFAB (1886) predates FIFA (1904), although FIFA has representation on IFAB.

IFAB has 8 members, four from FIFA and one each from the Football Association of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. For any motion to be passed there has to be a three-quarters majority ie 6 out of 8, so effectively the UK football associations have a veto on any motion, as does FIFA.

Regarding the current controversy, the problem arises from the desire to have a definition of 'deliberate' so there is consistency across the world. Previously referees were the judge of whether handball was deliberate or not.

But unfortunately this raises other issues, primarily what is an 'un-natural' position for a hand/arm. Hence we get situations like the Ward handball, and the week before the Lindelof handball. Under the previous guidance neither of these would have been given. So effectively there is a much lower bar for a handball offence now, and the FA did warn that there would be more penalties as a result this season.

Nothing is going to change until IFAB meets next spring but in the meantime Roy is correct in saying that managers, coaches, players and the like should make their voices heard in opposition to the way the guidance on the law has changed.

Audentis fortuna iuvat (Virgil, 19BC)

A ridiculous committee, Northern Ireland a giant in world football has a big say in technology it can't afford to implement whilst those pesky minnows Germany and Brazil don't.

This is a hangover from when we invented the game and needs to be reformed. The obvious solution is to have a committee made up of the 6 federations.

Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland having a vote on this committee is why they are against a GB team for women or under 23's. They believe that a GB team at any level will eventually mean they lose their vote, FIFA should put them out of their misery and reform the committee and throw all of the home nations off it.

I suspect if this happened their objections to a GB team will disappear.

One more point

Just read this on the Beeb [Link]
so the Premier League want to lobby IFAB - well they don’t have to go very far as we’ve got our own man on the board of directors, His name is Mark Bullingham and he’s the CEO of the FA [Link]
Let’s see if Mark can fix it.

Audentis fortuna iuvat (Virgil, 19BC)

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with this.

Of The 4 handball decisions; Lindlehoff, Maupay Ward and Dier. I would say Diers one the only one where it could have actually been a penalty. Having your back to the ball is not a defence. Just because you cannot see the ball, does not stop you from intentionally putting your body in a position where handling the ball is likely. Same with this notion that the proximity should be taken into account. No! If I were to run at you arms streched, like a goalkeeper, and if you kicked it when I was 'only' one metre away, then that's handball.
There is an argument when looking at Diers jump that he intentionally made his body bigger by using his arms in an attempt to stop the ball getting past him. This is regardless of where he was looking or facing at the time.
This is the issue - judging intent. personally I think that Diers was unintentional, but there is definitely a case for unnatural arm position, and definitely a case for arm-to-ball movement.

"It was a Team effort, I guess it took all players working together to lose this one"

Thank feck you are not a referee. You’re not are you?