England VAR: Players baffled by process at World Cup, admits Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker has admitted England’s players are uncertain of the VAR process in World Cup matches and questioned whether the system should be in use at the tournament.

Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan waved away protests from manager Gareth Southgate and his team after Walker was adjudged to have fouled Tunisia forward Fakhreddine Ben Youssef to concede a first-half penalty.

Roldan’s decision was upheld upon review by the Video Assistant Referee — a team of four officials based in a studio away from the stadium — allowing Ferjani Sassi to cancel out Harry Kane’s 11th-minute opener.

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However, Kane was clearly being manhandled at set pieces. Sassi rugby-tackled him in the first half, then the England captain was pushed over in a head-lock, but VAR did not intervene to give Roldan a second look at the challenges.

All 32 teams were given pre-tournament instructions by Fifa officials over how VAR would work and they specified that grappling at set-pieces was an offence they aimed to stamp out.

Walker told Standard Sport: “We’ve had a briefing, but what’s correct and what’s not? When do you ask for it? You don’t want to crowd the referee and say ‘VAR’ because then it is a yellow card.

“I think you just have to let the referees get on with it and let them take the decisions. They have got a hard enough game as it is without putting any more confusion in it.

“It is one of those things that I am going to have to take on the chin. Would it have been given in the Premier League? Probably not. In the World Cup it is probably a penalty.

World Cup: Distance travelled by England during group stage (PA)[/caption]

“It is a learning curve for me. Next time I will probably head it away and ask questions afterwards!”

VAR officials can alert the on-field referee to a decision he may wish to review again involving penalties, red cards, goals and mistaken identity.

The first penalty to be awarded at a World Cup through the system came in France’s 2-1 victory over Australia on Saturday, when Antoine Griezmann fell under a challenge from Josh Risdon, a tackle referee Andres Cunha initially deemed legitimate.

Penalty: Walker was adjudged to have fouled his opponent in the box in the first half (PA)

The Uruguayan official was alerted by VAR and then awarded France a spot-kick, which was converted by Griezmann. Complaints from angry Australia manager Bert van Marwijk inevitably followed.

Sweden’s only goal in beating South Korea on Monday came with a VAR-approved spot-kick, scored by Andreas Granqvist after 65 minutes, while Peru’s Christian Cueva missed from the spot in their 1-0 defeat by Denmark on Saturday after a foul was reviewed using replays.

The VAR debate will no doubt rage throughout the tournament but, for now, England can be content that they were not denied victory here.

Walker added: “It just shows the importance of the three weeks we’ve put in prior to this game, all the hard work, the togetherness.

“We showed that right into the last couple of minutes to get the win.”