The contentious handball incident during the ISL-XI match between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal on Saturday once again highlighted the helplessness of the Indian referees who toil without the backing of technolgy.
In the injury time of the first half, with Bagan leading 1-0, midfielder Lalengmawia Ralte seemingly used his hand inside the penalty box to stop East Bengal winger PV Vishnu's goal-bound poke.
East Bengal appealed for a penalty but referee Ramachandran Venkatesh, who was close to the action, signalled 'play-on'.
Whether it was a penalty or not is debatable but the controversy has given traction to renewed calls for implementation of technology in Indian football.
Bagan were the eventual winners, thanks to that early strike by Jamie Maclaren, but East Bengal have not stopped complaining about what they thought was a clear penalty.
It's unlikely that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) or the ISL organisers would invest in Video Assistant Referee. AIFF secretary-general P AnilKumar on Sunday categorically stated that use of technologu cannot guarantee mistake-proof refereeing.
"To err is human. Our refereeing standard has been good. I do not agree with those who pan the match officials at the drop of a hat. Match officials have a split second to take a decision unlike others who have the luxury of watching replays time and again," Anilkumar told The Telegraph.
"It's easy to talk about VAR but we have seen in European leagues mistakes happen even after using technology."
Venkatesh, a Fifa match official, was voted AIFF referee for the season 2023-24.
"Officiating a match is not an easy job. Sometimes mistakes happen. We are conducting workshops, and debriefing the officials on the basis of the report after every match," Anilkumar said.
According to a Fifa report in August last year, 200 individual competitions spanning 65 member associations are using VAR.
While implementing VAR in India is not financially feasible at this point in time, the Football Video Support (FVS), which Fifa used on a trial basis in the women's under-20 and under-17 World Cups last year, could be put to use in the leagues.
FVS is similar to cricket's Decision Review System. It is used only in case of a possible clear and obvious error or serious missed incident concerning the goal/no goal, penalty/no penalty, direct red cards (not second cautions) and mistaken identity.
Only the team’s head coach (or, in their absence, the senior team official present in the technical area) can make a review request, which must be made immediately after the incident, by twirling their finger in the air and giving a review request card to the fourth official. However, each player is entitled to ask their head coach to make a review request.
FVS also is budget-friendly as it operates differently from VAR by using fewer cameras and offering limited replay angles.
"But then FVS is yet to get the green light from Fifa and IFAB. Even if it comes, we will need time to implement it. India is a huge country and so we have to keep in mind the logistical part. Also to train all the referees will require time," Anilkumar reasoned.
Missing clip
Intriguingly, the most important occurrence of the match was missing from the highlights package on the official broadcaster's app. "It's surprising," a senior official said. Maybe what's important for the fans, is mundane for those who made the package.