VAR reviewed Arda Güler’s alleged elbow on Peque for more than two minutes, but no angle allowed for verification of the incident. Without a clear image, protocol prevents any intervention. The Real Madrid vs. Sevilla clash at the Santiago Bernabéu has already produced its major controversy. Minutes before Madrid’s opening goal—scored by Güler himself—the Turkish international was involved in an incident with Peque where he threw his arm back, an action many fans have labeled as an elbow. VAR spent 2 minutes and 20 seconds reviewing the play before reporting back to the referee. Archivo VAR understands that Busquets Ferrer informed the players on the pitch that the incident could not be verified due to the lack of a suitable camera angle. The review, therefore, did not conclude with a definitive ruling on the play, but rather with the realization that there were insufficient images to properly assess it. The explanation lies in where the clash took place. The incident occurred roughly 30 meters away from the active play, meaning the broadcast cameras were not tracking either player. The available replays are all wide-angle shots: the aerial wire camera, the goal-line camera, and general wide feeds. None of these angles show the point of contact or the level of force. Güler can be seen swinging his arm, but it is impossible to tell whether he struck Peque’s face, whether he led with the elbow, whether it was merely a push, or if excessive force was used. These are completely different scenarios, each carrying a different sanction—or none at all. If VAR cannot verify exactly what took place, it cannot intervene. Nor can it summon the referee to the pitchside monitor to review a distant shot that clarifies nothing. As Fran Soto, CEO of the CTA (Referees Technical Committee), explained a few weeks ago, VAR can only recommend an on-field review when a clear and obvious image is available. In this case, none existed. VAR’s handling of the incident was therefore correct. The VOR (Video Operation Room) works solely with the incoming camera feeds, and the television broadcast production is entirely separate from the match officials, VAR, and the CTA. The issue was not a procedural failure, but simply that no camera properly captured the incident to allow for a fair judgment.   submitted by   /u/eleiber [link]   [comments]