VAR has been put in a ‘straightjacket’ by protocol, says Jamie Carragher after Sheffield United denied goal

‘Rather than all these protocols, they should be saying, “OK, you’ve made a mistake, we’ll step in”’

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is not being used to its full potential as it has been put in a “straitjacket” by protocol, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has said.

Carragher’s comments come after Sheffield United were denied a legitimate goal in the 0-0 Premier League draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday.

“I have to say I think goalline technology coming into football has been one of the best things ... they (United) are rightly disappointed but the technology in general has been amazing,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “I go back to the idea that VAR has been in a straitjacket: we can only do ‘this’.

“It doesn’t matter how you get to the right decision. It’s goalline technology but are they (VAR) not in the referee’s ear, speaking to people running the technology?

“Rather than all these protocols, they should be saying, ‘OK, you’ve made a mistake, we’ll step in.’”

Hawk-Eye, the operators of the goalline technology system used in the Premier League, later apologised for the failure.

Reuters