Why does VAR not check corners or throw-ins?

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Why does VAR not check corners or throw ins? Plenty of football fans have asked this after a number of questionable decisions.

Since VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was introduced in football, supporters have endured nitpicking of the highest order, from offsides given for the length of a toenail, to the harshest of handball decisions.

With incidents such as these under the microscope on a weekly basis, it has baffled many as to why goals scored from a wrongly awarded throw-in or corner are not as heavily scrutinised.

So, why does VAR not check corners or throw-ins? Let’s take a look…

Why does VAR not check corners or throw-ins?

Well, the answer can actually be found on the Premier League’s official website.

The Premier League states: “It will not review the decision to award a corner instead of a goal-kick, even if the corner produces a goal.

“This is because the VAR will only check the attacking possession phase that led to the goal, and the starting point is limited to the immediate phase, in this instance the corner being taken.”

While throw-ins are not mentioned, the same rule applies.

Basically, once the ball has already left the pitch, that sequence of play has ended and cannot be revisited.

In our view, that is ridiculous.

A wrongly awarded corner or throw-in can lead to a very, very good goalscoring opportunity, and is fairly simple to check in comparison to spending five minutes analysing if a striker’s size 11 boot is ahead of a defender’s size ten.

Can players ask for a decision to be checked by VAR?

Many have suggested an appeal-based system for VAR, like the one used in tennis.

After all, the players are those closest to the action, and deserve the right to protest if the officials somehow miss a major incident.

However – according to the Premier League’s official website once again – players cannot ask the referee to check to the VAR monitor, and will actually be handed a yellow card if they “aggressively” make the VAR gesture during a game.