There is something joyful about a happy throng of football supporters cheering and hugging each other with shared euphoria.
The sight of a bunch of Aussies celebrating their success in the World Cup was slightly puzzling. The name they chanted was not that of their goalscorer, Mile Jedinak who tied the game against Denmark from the penalty spot, but someone called V-A-R.
For those not huge fans of football, VAR is not the name of a soccer star or even the national team’s manager but stands for Video Assistant Referee. This is the new system brought in for the World Cup to help referees avoid wrong decisions by letting them review video footage before they give a definitive decision.
The VAR was the darling of Aussie fans in the Denmark game because on review it was decided that a Danish player had deliberately handballed in the penalty area and a penalty was awarded.
odespinner 