So we are (Hopefully) set to see some changes to the ridiculous VR system that we currently have in place. The following will be trialed at this weekends summer bash.

Personally I think this has taken it a little too far on what cannot be checked, I would have been happy to just get rid of the live call and loosen up on the obstruction ruling (Only check when it seems to be a clear obstruction). Basically, all that can be checked is a grounding/foot in touch.

Try Changes
No ‘live’ call from on-field match official
No checks for obstruction
No checks on foul play
No checks on-side or offside on kicks
No checking challenges in the air
General Play Changes

No checks of knock-ons in general play/ or scrum, head and feeds, even if the ball is out of play
40/20 – can be checked where ball is kicked from ie inside the 40 but not where it goes out
Restart Changes

Goal line drop out
20m tap
Process:
- Ref to nominate restart
- Video Referee has no more than two looks, if footage inconclusive go with referees nominated restart as above

So basically the VR can check the grounding and that's about it?

Decent chance of getting out of the ground before midnight then.

Will be interesting to see if referees try to compensate and give more pens for obstruction than they would normally do in a game without a video ref.

No checking of knock on in general play? Erm, why?

I believe the RFL are looking for more folk to laugh at us

. What a complete shambles.

Surprisingly sensible, for once, though I’d keep the onside/offside in, which doesn’t take long to rule on.

No checks for obstruction
No checks on foul play
No checks on-side or offside on kicks
No checking challenges in the air

So, if the ref misses ^^^ any of these, the VR can give a try if he sees the ball grounded,and you think that's sensible? It's simple really, If the ref isn't sure,then just hand it to the VR. If he isn't sure,then disallow it,If he is sure, then give it. That's not rocket science.

It is a step nearer binning the VRs, I like it.

It needs binning full stop.

It doesn't,and it won't.

Why should some teams get a better chance of more accurate decisions just because they are on TV more than others? It should be all or nothing and I prefer nothing.

That's fair enough reffy. Me personally,i prefer the VR,but this tinkering for this w/end at the bash is just stupid. Like iv'e already said,if the ref can't make is mind up,then give it to the VR,if he can't either,then disallow it. Remember,without the VR, the ref has to make the decision whether he's sure or not if it's a try,and in big games that's not good enough if he get's it wrong.

Just to add the this,i think all SL games should have a VR.

Me too. It might ensure that the on field officials improve their acts

I don't think the VR shouldn't be able to rule on things like offside - if they're looking at a try then they should be able to check other obvious things. IMO the biggest problem with the VR is the amount of time it takes - they should be limited to a minute to review and no more. With unlimited time because they're under pressure to get it right they look at everything in excrutiating detail and it just takes way too long.

The ideas generally seem sensible. The VR should be there to judge on binary issues (touchlines, groundings etc) not issues of intepretation. That's what the on-field referee is for and when we have a VR trying to interpet something like "whether an aerial challenge is fair", that's what creates these lengthy deliberations and contentious decisions.

Only thing I would say though is that I saw no issue with the 'on field call' aspect. I think the process should be "unless you can prove otherwise, my decision will be....". Under this new system do we go back to "benefit of the doubt" if a VR can't conclusively judge? I think people forget how much of a minefield that was.

It is more about entertainment and drama and less about getting it correct.
I miss the good old days when you could be arguing about a decision all week without conclusion, then move on to next week’s dodgy decision. Monday lunch times at work were not to be missed.

Why not? It is probably the easiest thing to determine via the use of video replay, and should really only need one look at before a decision can be made.

The alternative is to leave it up to the touch judges to make the onside/offside call, and our touch judges have hardly covered themselves in glory recently.

If the tech is available why not use it?

You can miss those 'good old days' all you want but they're gone, and that wouldn't happen now.

Instead we would see replays proving a decision one way or the other. So if the officials get the decision wrong we will know, instantly, about the sporting injustice of it.

Why would you want mistakes to determine sporting results? You can still have plenty of drama and lunchtime discussion without a ref's mistake leaving a sour taste in the mouth.

Usually a job for the ref to spot.He manages the rest of the game

Two excellent post by Nothus. Well said.

Asking Sky to stop micro anylising every single decision looking for controversy. Slow-mo, super slow-mo, frame by frame by frame and super zoom all drawing attention to the referees getting a marginal call wrong. Not to go all "Leaguefreek" but I still bet the referee typically makes no more errors than the average player in a game but partly due to the telly coverage they are all highlighted time and again.

Do football forums have threads every single weeks about what ref their team has got this week? "Oh no, we've got Thaler - we've no chance" or "We never win with Childs reffing us" and the like are . I speak to reasonable football fans often and they have little or no care who the ref is/was in Leeds Utd games, wonder if it's unique to us as a sport/set of supporters?

The NRL bunker doesn't p!$$ about like our VR does,they get on with it, in an instance.

I just cant understand why the RFL didn't do this at the Magic weekend when all the "senior" referees where taking charge.

To do it this weekend at The Bash could potentially see it descend into chaos.

Even though i don't agree with it, you make a very good point.

To quote Steve Ganson:-

“The Summer Bash offers the perfect opportunity to conduct a trial across six games and we will be interested to receive feedback from fans, players, coaches and the broadcaster following the event.”

In other words, it's only the Championship, and we can experiment there without upsetting Sooper Dooper League clubs with radical changes. Ironically, we don't see VR's in the Championship, as a general rule!