The Moral Gatekeeper: Soccer and Technology, the Case of Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

Tamir, Ilan; Bar‐Eli, Michael

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613469

Cited by 23 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…It involves a team of video assistant referees who review incidents and provide additional information to the on-field referee to help them make informed judgments. While VARs have generated both praise and criticism, their primary objective is to reduce errors and promote fairness within the game [5][6][7][8].…”

Section: Video Assistant Referees (Vars) In Soccer: Enhancing Fairnes...mentioning

confidence: 99%

From Sport Psychology to Action Philosophy: Immanuel Kant and the Case of Video Assistant Referees

Galily

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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The implementation of Video Assistant Referees (VARs) in 2018 has had a significant impact on the multi-billion-dollar soccer industry. As the most popular and watched sport globally, soccer’s financial stakes are high, with clubs, leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans heavily invested in the game. The ongoing debate surrounding the VAR system brings to light the intricate balance between preserving the authenticity of football (soccer) and harnessing technology to improve accuracy. It is crucial to strike the right equilibrium in order to uphold football’s metaphorical power and sustain the timeless joy it has brought to fans throughout generations. In this context, Immanuel Kant’s philosophy can offer valuable insights into the utilization of VARs in soccer. According to Kantian ethics, using VARs can be justified if it serves to enhance fairness and accuracy, aligning with the moral duties of referees. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the potential dehumanizing effects and the necessity of preserving the value of human judgment in the game. Therefore, this paper aims to explore in-depth the intricate dynamics that arise when technology is integrated into traditional practices, emphasizing the significance of critical reflection on the implications of such advancements.

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Section: Video Assistant Referees (Vars) In Soccer: Enhancing Fairnes...mentioning

confidence: 99%

From Sport Psychology to Action Philosophy: Immanuel Kant and the Case of Video Assistant Referees

Galily

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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“…One way to differentiate the relationship between domain of execution and domain of application in sports contra esports is with reference to the technology esports depends upon. In this context, a general skepticism toward the adverse relationship between too much technology and the authenticity of sports is not uncommon – an obvious example is the discussion surrounding the place and role of Video Assistant Referee systems or “VAR” systems in football (Olkhov, 2021 ; Tamir and Bar-eli, 2021 ).…”

Section: Justifying the Argument From Immediacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Both Physical and Virtual: On Immediacy in Esports

Ekdahl

2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

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This article strives to make novel headway in the debate concerning esports' relationship to sports by focusing on the relationship between esports and physicality. More precisely, the aim of this article is to critically assess the claim that esports fails to be sports because it is never properly “direct” or “immediate” compared to physical sports. To do so, I focus on the account of physicality presented by Jason Holt, who provides a theoretical framework meant to justify the claim that esports is never properly immediate and therefore never sports. I begin by motivating Holt's account of physicality by contrasting it with a more classical way of discussing physicality and sports, namely in terms of physical motor skills. Afterwards, I introduce Holt's account of physicality as immediacy and engage with its assumptions more thoroughly to problematize the claim that esports is fundamentally indirect. Lastly, I argue that the assumption that esports necessarily lacks immediacy is based on a narrow understanding of body and, consequently, of space. In response, I offer a different way of thinking about body and space, focusing on the subjective, bodily engagement of the esports practitioners with their practice, whereby physical space and virtual space can be appreciated as immediately interconnected during performance in a hybrid manner. In providing such an account, the article contributes directly to the broader, growing discussion on the relationship between physicality and virtuality in an increasingly digital world.

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“…Because these technologies can improve officiating, various sport leagues have implemented them and they have become a critical component of sport events (Spitz et al, 2021). From the perspective of spectatorship, officiating technology provides a high quality fan experience because it enhances the overall quality of refereeing and protects the integrity of the game (Carlos et al, 2019; Stoney & Fletcher, 2020; Tamir & Bar-Eli, 2020). In this way, officiating technology is a service component of sport events.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are necessary participants in sport, charged with applying the rules and administering the competition in a fair and proper manner (Biedzynski, 1994). Although technological advancements have made sports faster, more powerful, and more enjoyable, fair decisions have become increasingly difficult to consistently make (Spitz et al, 2021;Tamir & Bar-Eli, 2020). Because high-tech digital cameras that allow slow-motion replay of important game situations have not always been available to officials, over the years, many controversial calls have unjustly influenced game outcomes (MacMahon et al, 2014;Spitz et al, 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance Expectancy of Officiating Technology in Spectator-Based Sport Events: Scale Development and Validation

Kim

Connaughton

2021

Communication & Sport

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In an effort to decrease the number of missed calls and to improve officiating during sport events, various sports leagues have implemented media technology (e.g., Video Assistant Referee, Hawk-Eye). More importantly, the use of officiating technology has significantly influenced spectatorship in various ways (e.g., perception of and attitude toward the technology). Although officiating technology is an impressive tool for communicating final decisions to spectators, few scholars have examined how spectators perceive the use of officiating technology, and no psychometric measurement scale exists that measures this perception. To fill this void, we developed and validated the Performance Expectancy of Officiating Technology (PEOT) scale to measure the perceptions of spectators, one of the most important stakeholder groups in the industry. We identified four sub-dimensions of PEOT: fair judgment, enjoyability, efficient game operation, and convenience of review; a multi-dimensional framework that provides a psychometrically sound approach to assessment. The results reveal that PEOT had a positive and direct impact on attitude toward and intention to watch sport events. In addition, attitude partially mediated the relationship between performance expectancy and intention to watch sport events. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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The Moral Gatekeeper: Soccer and Technology, the Case of Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

Cited by 23 publications

References 48 publications

From Sport Psychology to Action Philosophy: Immanuel Kant and the Case of Video Assistant Referees

From Sport Psychology to Action Philosophy: Immanuel Kant and the Case of Video Assistant Referees

Both Physical and Virtual: On Immediacy in Esports

Performance Expectancy of Officiating Technology in Spectator-Based Sport Events: Scale Development and Validation

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