Sports refereeing

Alfredo Relaño considers the effects of the VAR system as LaLiga passes the halfway stage with voices raising concern over when it is being used.

Sunday's LaLiga action was brought to a close at the Villamarín, where Real Madrid needed a late Dani Ceballos free-kick to secure maximum points.

Let's be clear, VAR is not 100% perfect. It's a system that can spot ‘geographical’ actions from a game from a side facing camera(s) and have a decision overturned or rectified given the circumstance

Spanish referees have an expression that has been passed down to the current generation of match officials: "You're not a fully fledged ref. until you've been hit by the Real Madrid juggernaut".

Among the questionable things about the Club World Cup, which is in its final throes in its current format, its use as a testing ground for new rules is right up there...

The general feeling in Spanish football is that VAR has improved the game. Now the referee has a safety net and can view incidents more clearly, writes Alfredo Relaño.