Just back

I get that but he didnt even get to have a look at the incident again did he??

So yes he was over ruled because he was told his yellow should be a red - his opinion verses VAR - thats what it boils down to , opinions! Not who is right

Quoted from RichMariner

Moss: I've just had a quick look at that challenge on Townsend.

Atkinson: Yes, I saw it. I was five yards away. Happy that it's a yellow.

Moss: Well I've slowed it down. He's quite high. Catches Townsend on the shin, just below the knee.

Atkinson: I know. I did see it. You suggesting it should be red? Would like to take another look at it.

Moss: No need. I've seen it and I'm saying it's a red.

Atkinson: Hmm. It was the first tackle of the game. The pitch was watered just before kick-off. It's this guy's biggest game of his career.

Moss: Follow the letter of the law and send him off.

So the ref saw it and knew it was a high tackle but was happy to give a yellow. The VAR ref thinks it should be a red. The ref mentions he is allowing for conditions, first tackle of the game and the players experience. The VAR overrules the ref, who supposedly has the final decision , and tells him to follow the letter of the law and send him off. Surely this wasn't what VAR was brought in for. If that is how it's going to be then we might as well do away with the ref, have VAR in radio contact with the linesmen  and make all the decisions.

I missed it at the ground did he actually get shown a yellow?? all I remember is the ref running over to Fox a bit after the actual tackle and the ball had been knocked out of play and then flung him the red

Quoted from rancido

So the ref saw it and knew it was a high tackle but was happy to give a yellow. The VAR ref thinks it should be a red. The ref mentions he is allowing for conditions, first tackle of the game and the players experience. The VAR overrules the ref, who supposedly has the final decision , and tells him to follow the letter of the law and send him off. Surely this wasn't what VAR was brought in for. If that is how it's going to be then we might as well do away with the ref, have VAR in radio contact with the linesmen  and make all the decisions.

This is my beef with it all. People who say "it should have been a red so fair enough" are missing the point. This version of VAR is not what we were sold. It is supposed to be there for clear errors, for unseen off the ball incidents, for incidents that are just too tough for the naked eye to see (tight offsides or in/outside the box). It is not supposed to be there for another person's opinion to simply overrule the onfield ref. In my opinion it's a dangerous overreach of VAR and I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

I'm a massive cricket fan and I look at how they use their DRS (Decision Review System).

Yes, it causes a hold-up, but cricket isn't fast-paced in the first place, so there's no issue there. If anything, DRS adds to the drama.

But very early on they realised that it was taking the power away from the on-field umpire and they didn't want it to do that.

The LBW system is very interesting because when the decision is marginal on DRS, it goes with the umpire's original decision.

VAR was brought in to eradicate obvious errors. I don't think it can ever be relied upon to deliver the 'perfect' match where every decision was 100% correct because, let's be honest, no two challenges are the same.

There are so many nuances in each tackle, and so many variables (where it occurred on the pitch, at what time, the history between the two players in the challenge, the context of the scoreline, I could go on) that it becomes impossible for a cold, emotionless and heartless system to make judgments.

VAR should only make judgments on black and white issues. Did it cross the line? Was he offside? Was the foul in the box?

Deciding whether a challenge was a yellow or red card is much, much tougher to call, and at the very least you'd have expected Atkinson (in our case) to take another look himself.

Quoted from RichMariner

I'm a massive cricket fan and I look at how they use their DRS (Decision Review System).

Yes, it causes a hold-up, but cricket isn't fast-paced in the first place, so there's no issue there. If anything, DRS adds to the drama.

But very early on they realised that it was taking the power away from the on-field umpire and they didn't want it to do that.

The LBW system is very interesting because when the decision is marginal on DRS, it goes with the umpire's original decision.

VAR was brought in to eradicate obvious errors. I don't think it can ever be relied upon to deliver the 'perfect' match where every decision was 100% correct because, let's be honest, no two challenges are the same.

There are so many nuances in each tackle, and so many variables (where it occurred on the pitch, at what time, the history between the two players in the challenge, the context of the scoreline, I could go on) that it becomes impossible for a cold, emotionless and heartless system to make judgments.

VAR should only make judgments on black and white issues. Did it cross the line? Was he offside? Was the foul in the box?

Deciding whether a challenge was a yellow or red card is much, much tougher to call, and at the very least you'd have expected Atkinson (in our case) to take another look himself.

I was talking to an ex-pro cricketer about this and his thoughts are that decision reviews are OK when there's a definitive break in play such as cricket and American Football but much more difficult in rugby union and football. Even more so when one person's judgement of serious foul play differs from the other such as on Saturday when the Fox tackle was nothing like as aggressive as Kompany's two days earlier.

The Sunday Times had the headline “ Gallant Grimsby run out of luck”.

They reported that the late goal was harsh indeed on the League Two club and their 5,500 fans, who had deserved a replay.  You could only admire the Mariners’ fierce dedication to the defensive cause.

Their reporting on the sending off was not fully accurate:  “within 2 mins of the start Fox was dismissed.  The defender dived into a challenge that caught Townsend high on the shin and referee Martin Atkinson brandished a red after VAR review”.

(There is no credence given to Atkinson’s own assessment of the incident from close-up.)