Celtic were left feeling aggrieved after a contentious VAR decision at Easter Road denied them an equaliser in their 2-1 defeat to Hibernian. Daizen Maeda thought he had pulled the Hoops level with just minutes remaining, but after a long VAR review, the goal was ruled out.
This decision mirrored a similar incident that occurred earlier in the season in the English Premier League, where technology again came under scrutiny for its accuracy. A video shared by Gary Neville provided a compelling example of how VAR’s angles can create confusion, showing how the ball can appear both in and out of play depending on the perspective used.
Neville’s Demonstration Highlights the Challenges for Officials
In the video, Neville carefully placed the ball on the field by the smallest margin possible, demonstrating how the angle at which the ball is viewed can drastically influence the final decision. The former Manchester United defender made a key point about how officials, especially those relying on limited camera angles, can make mistakes in determining whether the ball has crossed the line or not.
He explained how using two different angles can present conflicting views of the same moment, which makes it increasingly difficult for referees to get the correct call. This highlights the challenges faced by officials, who must make calls based on potentially flawed or inconclusive evidence, which can result in errors that have a significant impact on the game.
The decision to overturn the on-field call was likely based on this angle, despite the lack of conclusive evidence to confirm that the ball had completely gone out of play. This highlights the inherent problems with the current VAR system, where a single, unclear angle can drastically alter the outcome of a key moment in the match.
With Scottish football not utilising the same advanced camera angles and goal-line technology that UEFA often employs for VAR decisions, it means that Alan Muir, the VAR official, would have had to rely on a questionable and potentially inconclusive angle to rule out Daizen Maeda’s equaliser. The angle used, captured from a raised, distant position, gave the impression that the ball had fully crossed the line, even though other perspectives suggested otherwise.
This lack of high-quality, precise technology often used in major European competitions is a significant issue, leading to doubts about the accuracy of decisions made in Scottish football. Given the high stakes of the moment, this particular decision is sure to come under intense scrutiny in the coming days.
As frustrations grow over the inconsistency and limitations of VAR in Scotland, calls for better equipment and more reliable technology are expected to increase, especially when crucial moments like this determine the outcome of matches, with Brendan Rodgers fuming at the controversial decision post-match.
