Has VAR become a lottery at the World Cup?

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 said on MOTD. "There is a little contact before the ball is played but I don't really feel that it's a foul." Onto Thursday and Germany's 2-1 loss to Ecuador. …