On the same day that the Premier League had what became a defining blunder for VAR in a high-profile match, the National Women’s Soccer League was having just another weekend in its bumpy first season using video replays.
Among the calls in question were a penalty that was unconvincingly reversed after review in Chicago and, the next day, an equalizing goal in Seattle that OL Reign coach Laura Harvey insisted afterward was offside. The problem with both decisions was not entirely human error, but the lack of technology available with which the hard-working (and underpaid) humans could make the right decision.
Both decisions had major implications on the tightest NWSL playoff race in history. A probable 1-0 Reign win was turned into a 1-1 draw. Racing Louisville could’ve pulled level, but instead the Chicago Red Stars won, 1-0. VAR, or video-assisted refereeing, was introduced to ensure such calls are right, but it may have done the opposite.
None of this drama is new for the NWSL, where defining offside calls are made weekly without truly definitive angles. In Seattle on…
