Premier League referees were reportedly subject to a lecture from British Airways pilots on how to communicate well under pressure.
The lecture is the latest twist in the VAR discourse, with football fans and pundits demanding changes to the system. Officials were heavily criticised for their communication which led to Luis Diaz's perfectly good goal being ruled out for offside.
According to The Times, two pilots, Chris Heaven and Pete Nataraj, gave a presentation to the Select Group officials on the need for clarity and accuracy. The pilots spoke about cutting out informality, adding that dialogue should be brief and direct.
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Similarities between the two roles, pilot and referee, were discussed – with the pilots adding there has has to be absolute clarity when speaking to air traffic control.
The two pilots also added that clarity is important when landing abroad – where there is often a language barrier. When coming to the Diaz decision, referee Simon Hooper’s assistant Simon Long said “give it", rendering it unclear if he was referring to the goal or the offside.
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The 45 minute lecture also aimed to help the officials staying calm when dealing with incidents.
The idea stemmed from chief refereeing officer of Professional Game Match Officials Limited Howard Webb, who wants officials to broaden their experience. And The Times adds the lecture was well received by those in attendance.
Diaz's disallowed goal is the most high-profile VAR mistake this season – when Diaz was incorrectly ruled as offside, and problems communicating, led to the Colombian's goal being disallowed.
After the incident, a full review of VAR procedures was ordered by the Premier League.
Webb has been trying to open up VAR to the public, by releasing audio tapes from the officials for certain decisions. However, more fans are still calling for officials to be mic'ed up in stadiums to provide even more clarity to decisions.
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