iStockphoto / Bohdana Pasichniuk
A Norwegian soccer match between Rosenborg BK and Lillestrom was canceled on Sunday after fans made it clear they do not want VAR in their game after they protested by throwing countless items onto the field which ultimately resulted in such a delay that referees opted to suspend the match.
It all started with perhaps the most Norwegian form of protest possible: the soccer fans pelted the field with fish cakes for two nonstop minutes. The referees blew the whistle and players returned to their respective locker rooms while the pitch was cleared and they were able to return.
The decision to suspend the Norwegian soccer match came after players returned and fans started tossing smoke bombs and tennis balls onto the field until conditions were deemed unsafe and the refs eventually called it quits after 30 minutes while the match was still tied 0-0.
Footage from the mayhem has been seen on social media and YouTube:
According to a report on ESPN, the protest reaches beyond just this Norwegian Eliteserien match. Fans of the Norwegian soccer league do not want VAR (Video Assisted Referee) and claim the that refs spend using VAR to check offsides and penalties is detrimental to the sport.
This is also a sentiment held across most of Europe by soccer fans who believe that VAR has completely disrupted the game while still not always ensuring that on-field mistakes get overturned.
The criticisms of VAR are often quite valid as it does disrupt the pace of play and flow of the game. And when mistakes aren’t overturned by VAR it is often because one of the refs on the field or in the booth is wary of overruling their colleagues. Sadly, it could all be fixed with automated technology if the human element was removed entirely.