You watch the replay, you click, you squint and you think: that’s off. You wait for the ref’s arm. Nothing. You curse. It’s what a lot of us were saying after that tight decision — and it’s worth laying out why TV replays can feel so unsatisfying.

Why the camera angle matters

The picture we get on our screens is usually from a broadcast camera, not the exact line that VAR needs to judge an offside. That introduces a parallax problem: the view isn’t directly in line with the goal or the attacker and can make a marginal call look different depending on the angle. Add to that the fact the ball can be blurred on the replay and you start to see why a ‘toenail’ decision becomes so contentious.

Limits of VAR technology

VAR is a tool, not a miracle. It helps remove some human error but it’s subject to camera placement, the quality of the footage, frame timing and the human operator who draws the lines. I’m not saying there’s a conspiracy — far from it — but there are practical limitations. If the image shows the ball blurred because the camera is a split-second after the strike, then using that single frame to decide a marginal offside will always feel a bit arbitrary.

What we can reasonably expect

Truth is, we should expect transparency about process and for officials to acknowledge the limits of the technology. Asking what the laws say and what VAR can realistically do is sensible. We can hope for better camera coverage and clearer communication, but until then fans will keep arguing about lines and toenails. I don’t know the technical fixes, but I do know it’s frustrating when a match-defining moment comes down to a blurred frame and a millimetre.

As supporters, we’ll keep debating it on the forums and at Ibrox. At least try to understand why the call was made before shouting about conspiracy — it rarely is that simple.

Written by Angus1812: 24 March 2026

Tags: squad