Exclusive: Mark Clattenburg says FIFA could make VAR improvement after error during Liverpool v Crystal Palace
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Liverpool were made to pay for a refereeing error during their defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Reds could have few complaints about losing, having been comfortably second best throughout a difficult first-half.
However, there was a strong argument that Palace’s opening goal should not have counted.
The ball clearly bounced off Tyrick Mitchell as he battled with Conor Bradley near the touchline, but referee Chris Kavanagh awarded the home side a corner kick.
Liverpool should have dealt with the resulting ball into the box much better than they did, but could feel hard done by as Ismaila Sarr pounced to put the Eagles 1-0 up.
Unfortunately, there was little that could be done once the referee had decided that a corner was the right decision, with VAR unable to intervene.
But as former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has exclusively told Rousing The Kop, that could soon change.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
In the day and age of every decision being analysed to the millimetre, it is amazing that something as easy to spot as a dead ball being awarded the wrong way is still going on.
Unlike penalty decisions and offside, there is nothing subjective about this aspect of the game.
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And according to Clattenburg, while there is nothing video assistant referees can do at the moment, FIFA are contemplating a change to the rule.
“IFAB and FIFA are looking at improving VAR and its protocol,” says the former official.
“As we stand, VAR cannot interfere in an incorrect corner being awarded.
When this corner leads to a goal it can lead to frustration.
“FIFA are looking in the future to allow the protocol to allow the VAR to correct goal kicks and corner kicks but as we stand, we have to accept the referee’s decision”
While this has cost Liverpool a result against Palace, there have been other occasions where the Reds have benefited from a wrong call in this manner.
Nevertheless, it would surely be for the good of the game that the governing bodies iron out this problem as soon as possible.
As for the rest of Liverpool’s loss against Palace, it was relatively clear of refereeing controversy.
Palace thought Federico Chiesa’s equaliser could have been disallowed, but replays were not conclusive in deciding whether or not Mohamed Salah handled the ball.
Eddie Nketiah’s late winner was also looked at by VAR, but the former Arsenal striker was just behind Ryan Gravenberch in an onside position.