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 game, England manager Thomas Tuchel reflected on the VAR intervention, stating:

the referees are just not good enough, the fourth officials are just not good enough – that’s the bottom line.

the referees are just not good enough, the fourth officials are just not good enough – that’s the bottom line.

VAR is supposed to support referees

Perhaps no other sporting tournament in the world carries the attention and scrutiny of the FIFA men’s World Cup, which is entering its final stages.

Decision-making under pressure becomes the critical skill for a referee. However, decision-making in sport is highly complex and prone to error, even among the world’s best.

Referees must balance conflicting priorities of accuracy, fairness, entertainment and safety in real time, within a fast-paced, unpredictable and hostile environment.

Much has been made of referees’ potential biases, such........

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