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Liverpool and Tottenham left frustrated by VAR's subjective offside calls
Nottingham Forest secured a surprise 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, reigniting debates over VAR's handling of subjective offside decisions after Dan Ndoye's positioning in front of Alisson Becker during Murillo's opening goal sparked controversy. The incident mirrors Liverpool's earlier frustration at Manchester City, where a disallowed goal under similar circumstances left the team aggrieved.
Meanwhile, Tottenham's 4-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday added fuel to the fire. Eberechi Eze's second goal for the Gunners stood despite Bukayo Saka, Martin Zubimendi, and Leandro Trossard occupying offside positions in front of Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Former England keeper Joe Hart argued on Match of the Day that Trossard's presence obstructed Vicario's line of sight, declaring, "Offside in my opinion."
The persistent challenge of subjective offside rulings
The core issue lies in interpreting whether an offside player-without touching the ball-impacts an opponent's ability to play. Current guidelines instruct VAR officials to intervene only in cases of clear error, leaving borderline calls, like Andy Robertson's disallowed goal at Manchester City, to stand. This approach aims to avoid overruling on-field decisions but often sparks accusations of inconsistency.
Historical context underscores the long-standing nature of this debate. The 1903-04 Laws of the Game already prohibited offside players from "interfering with an opponent or with the play," yet over a century later, the sport still grapples with subjective judgments. Last season, VAR overturned just two line-of-vision offside calls-both reinstating goals-while four goals were disallowed for the offense in 2023-24, including strikes by Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
Fans demand clarity, but solutions remain elusive
Calls for objective criteria-such as mandating that any offside player in the six-yard box automatically impacts the goalkeeper-risk unintended consequences. "You'd still have shades of gray," analysts warn, pointing to scenarios where players on the far side of the goal could see decisions overturned against the law's spirit. Meanwhile, supporters continue to cite past rulings as evidence of inconsistency, though no two incidents are identical.
"Supplies have stabilized, but conservation remains essential. With VAR, you can slow it down and pause it, and you can point out why the goal should be ruled out."
Joe Hart, former England goalkeeper, on Match of the Day
What's next for VAR and offside enforcement?
The Premier League's current framework prioritizes minimizing VAR interventions, reserving overrules for "clear and obvious errors." Yet as high-profile cases accumulate-from Bernardo Silva's reinstated goal for Manchester City to Jamie Vardy's late equalizer for Leicester-pressure mounts for reform. Options under discussion include:
- Stricter geometric thresholds (e.g., six-yard box automatic reviews),
- Expanded VAR transparency, such as broadcasting review discussions, or
- Accepting subjectivity as inherent, with clearer communication of decision-making criteria.
For now, the status quo persists: controversial calls will continue to dominate post-match analysis, leaving fans, pundits, and players alike questioning the balance between fairness and fluidity.
