How VAR is changing soccer – and its referees

Being a referee is a thankless job. Despite the necessity and complexity of the role, referees’ decisions continue to be heavily scrutinised. In the Round of 16 World Cup match between England and Mexico, two Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interventions occurred after the referee had allowed play to continue. The first resulted in a red card to England, while the second led to a penalty to Mexico. Unsurprisingly, there was little agreement among fans and pundits in either case. Following the…