Has VAR become a lottery at the World Cup?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Germany took the lead against Ecuador in the second minute after the VAR opted not to intervene By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent Published 24 minutes ago Just a few days ago, people were asking whether the video assistant referee system was being used differently at the World Cup . Now, after a week of strange decisions, fans seem confused about when the VAR is going to get involved. From Ghana's penalty claim against England, to Brazil's disallowed goal against Scotland and Germany's opener versus Ecuador, it has been difficult to guess what the video official is going to do. VAR at the World Cup so far is running along similar numbers to the Premier League. In England last season there was 0.29 interventions a game, at the World Cup it is 0.28. On subjective interventions, when the referee has to go the monitor, the Premier League had 0.15 per match and the World Cup stands at 0.17. The longer the World Cup goes on, the more it shows just how difficult it is to have a consistently high bar with VAR. Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's head of referees, believes that football is a contact sport, and that not all contact is a foul. He wants to see free-flowing games at a higher tempo at this World Cup. If you let more strong challenges go on the pitch, then the VAR has to adjust accordingly. And the sweet spot for a clear and obvious error is harder to hit. It is a problem the Premier League has struggled to solve. 'I'm shocked that it wasn't reviewed' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Ghana were denied a penalty which would have given them the chance to take the lead in their 0-0 draw with England Other competitions have a lower bar for VAR, and the video officials get involved more often. That creates a cloak of consistency, because people expect interventions, but it does not necessarily mean VAR is being used as originally intended, for the real howlers. Take the Champions League as a comparison. At 0.47 interventions a game and 0.36 monitor visits a match the VAR is far more likely to get involved. Handball is a prime example, with Uefa applying a strict interpretation - less room for subjectivity, fewer reasons for the VAR to leave it alone. If the ball hits the arm a defender is in trouble. So, what has happened this week to cause such a fuss? On Tuesday, Ghana coach Carlo Queiroz said that "VAR went for a coffee" after his side were not given a penalty against England for Ezri Konsa's challenge on Prince Kwabena Adu. It was a clumsy tackle and a real surprise that there was no intervention in a game which finished 0-0 . Then on Wednesday, Brazil had a goal ruled out in their 3-0 win against Scotland for a foul by Vinicius Jr on Jack Hendry. This time the high bar had been lowered. It seemed Hendry had kicked the Real Madrid forward, rather than there being a clear and obvious foul. "I think Scotland are a little fortunate to be honest," former World Cup assistant referee Darren Cann sai