What a match for Graham Scott especially in extra time. He booked three Chelsea players for diving which led to two sending offs in the last four minutes of extra time. The second sending off was a caution for diving followed immediately by a second yellow for dissent or a straight red for abusive language. The first booking in extra time was probably a PK, but VAR didn't think it was a clear and obvious error. Going to KFTPM.
The Morata red card, which you allude to, is fascinating for the VAR implications: Morata is booked for simulation. He then immediately dissents and is shown a second caution and red card. Interestingly, it looks like Scott mouths "cheat" when relaying what was said (which has traditionally been an AL red card in Britain). Anyway... The incident that led to the simulation card is then checked by the VAR. Ultimately, there's not enough to overturn the simulation card into a penalty. But what if there was? Does Morata then have one yellow card because the simulation is annulled? That seems like the most likely outcome, even though 2CTs aren't technically subject to review. So he'd be saddled with a dissent caution for an incident he was correct about. If this had been an AL card, however, that wouldn't have been subject to review. Another strange situation where the decision between a 2CT and a straight red card has huge potential ramifications in the VAR world.
Interesting scenario. I think the answer is yes. Not that odd once we've gone down the rabbit hole in the first place. If the play is changed to a PK, which is reviewable, then the lfiting of the caution is just the natural consequence. Nothing odd, by itself. Once the first caution is removed, there is no second caution, and play has not resumed, so the referee can correct it. Can't say I find this disturbing at all. No more than a caution for dissent followed by a discussion with the AR or 4th that leads the ref to change his mind. The fact the ref is wrong doesn't make the behavior OK. I'm just not finding this disturbing. In each case the player gets the punishment for what he did: dissent or OFFINABUS. To put in snarkily, all it means is if the ref chickens out and gives a dissent caution when he should have given a OFFINABUS send off, it blows up on him. But that would really be because he did something he shouldn't have done in the first place. So that's my long winded way of saying that while it would look strange in any of the scenarios if a card preceding dissent is eliminated, it doesn't feel wrong to me. And the scenario could go another way, too. Let's make the simulation the second caution. The player screams and curses at the ref--who can't give a caution or a send off because the player is already sent off. Now the VAR process reverses the dive 2C, reversing the send off. Does the R now caution/send off for dissent or OFFINABUS that occurred following the rescinded send off? Per the Laws, I think he can--but just imagine how that one would look.
Oh, absolutely. That was really my only point on this. I shouldn't have used a term like "saddled" because I didn't mean to suggest it would be unfair. On the AL vs. DT thing, you of course have a point. I think sometimes, in heated situations like this, referees reflexively go 2CT because it's just natural and the card is already out, so I don't always view it as a cop-out. The bottom line is that VAR creates a number of scenarios where the 2CT vs. straight red card decision is now important for the match itself and not just suspension ramifications.
I don’t know how the Willian dive/penalty was not overturned. Yes, Willian embellished it a bit, but there was a clear trip. Very difficult to see live, but VAR is supposed tonsort those, no? Probably the highest profile match of Scott’s short career on the Select list. To me, he looked a bit overwhelmed. And the ABBA kicks are only for the League Cup?
To be honest I thought the only error he made was the Willian one. The other two dives were called perfectly to me. You see way too many top referees hesitant to book a player for diving. I also thought he showed great courage booking two players on second yellows when many would not. Was also confused about ABBA because the announcers were clear ABBA would be the method so I'm unsure if the announcers were just wrong or if the referee crew administered it incorrectly.
The English media and fans are going to handle VAR so well if this one causes the outrage. Sure I think it was a foul (although I did take multiple looks in slow motion for me to see Morota was jumping over the opponents outstretched leg and clipped him), but I can also see why VAR didn't get involved.
If there's any hope of stopping VAR dead in its tracks or getting serious reform, it may rest with the British media and its completely predictable (over?-) reaction to VAR. Remember FIFA only controls 4 of 8 votes at the IFAB and to fully adopt VARs and VR, two more will be needed from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. If popular opinion is completely against VR in the EPL, maybe that affects the voting dynamics.