VAR could help us, too – Legister
RETIRED FIFA referee Valdin Legister has high praises for the video assistant refereeing (VAR) system being employed at the FIFA World Cup in Russia and believes that the Jamaica Football Federation should find a way to introduce the technology locally.
“I think it is excellent and it is working well in the World Cup so far,” said Legister, who officiated at the Under 17 World Cup in Chile in 2015.
“It is something that we, as a federation, should invest in, whether it is VAR or goal-line technology or any other technology that can assist the game.”
VAR is the latest innovation by the world-governing body aimed at improving the quality and credibility of the game.
A VAR team supports the match officials from a central location and use multiple camera angles to help the referee to make certain calls.
The innovation has both been criticised and praised by players and other stakeholders in the game.
“Technology is important, and once we can afford to implement the system, then I think we should use it, because it will only serve to improve the game,” Legister said. “It will also help the fans, who get irate sometimes about calls, to feel more comfortable about the decisions the referees make.”
This, he believes, could attract more persons to become referees.
“We want more people to feel passionate about it, and despite the constraints which deter people from wanting to become referees, this could attract them back to the discipline,” Legister said.
“When I was coming up, my objective was to go to the World Cup. We want people who have that same passion,” Legister said.
Legister was actually on a provisional list to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Peter Prendergast is the only Jamaican to officiate at a senior FIFA World Cup when he did so in 2002 in South Korea.