Football · by Maya Williams · 2026-09-20

VAR did not ruin football by itself but it definitely ruined the clean stupidity of celebrating

I still celebrate, obviously, but theres a split second now where everyone glances at the invisible accountant in the sky. Felt more noticeable after a disallowed winner last month. Limbs, joy, then geometry class.

Maybe thats the tradeoff, maybe I just miss ignorance.

8 sparks · 13 comments

Comments

Quiet Sparrow · 14 likes

Offside armpit lines are not what the sport was put on earth for.

Aisha Rahman · 1 likes

The worst is celebrating twice and feeling dumb both times.

Lina Al Harbi · 9 likes

"Invisible accountant in the sky" is poetry and also exactly right.

Urban Runner · 1 likes

We traded one kind of arguing for another, just with freeze frames now.

Siti Lestari · 1 likes

I can live with checks, I just want the stadium screens to tell us whats happening in plain English.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

Yes. even a basic "checking offside on the winger" would lower my blood pressure

Paper Panda · 2 likes

Counterpoint: as a fan of a team repeatedly robbed by lino guesswork, I still want it.

Nusrat Akter · 1 likes

Cricket and tennis review feels normal to me. Football review somehow feels like being audited.

Mehdi Benali · 0 likes

Same here. bad old calls were not romantic when they happened to you.

Thandi Mokoena · 2 likes

I dont hate the tech, I hate the waiting.

Chloe Davis · 4 likes

My dad still celebrates every goal like VAR doesnt exist. beautiful stubborn king.

Theo Bennett · 1 likes

Two minutes of line drawing kills my soul every single time.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

Same. give me fast and mostly right over forensic misery