The world-famous former Scottish referee made statements to the AA correspondent about the performance of the referees in the first 6 weeks of the Super League, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) application in Turkey, the hybrid system implemented in the Super League referee assignments, the separation of the field and VAR referees, and Turkish football.
Reminding that he has been working as the TFF Referee Training Consultant for about 3 months, Hugh Dallas said, “It is very difficult to evaluate the refereeing standard in Turkey in general. However, as I have seen in the first 6 weeks, the quality of the league is very high. We are very happy so far. Of course, we are not perfect, but nowhere in the world. Refereeing is not perfect. There may be some minor mistakes and my job is to try to minimize these mistakes in Turkey. Of course, referees make mistakes and the best referee is the one who makes the fewest mistakes.” used the phrases.
“VAR’S LEVEL IS VERY HIGH IN TURKEY”
Hugh Dallas, “We see that there are important mistakes in the application of the VAR system in many leagues in the world. In February, important mistakes were made in VAR in 3 games in England and the referee board in England apologized to the clubs. How do you evaluate the VAR system in Turkey?” He answered the question as follows:
“The level of VAR application in Turkey is really high. Of course, we are constantly comparing it with other countries in Europe. I watch many football matches. The quality of VAR in Turkey is at the same level as in many European countries or even better than some of them. We want to set the bar high. VAR “We want to make sure that only clear and obvious mistakes are interfered with. We don’t want to see them intervene for minor mistakes, push-ups or small things in the penalty area. VAR does not interrupt the flow of football.”
“TURKEY IS LEADING THE PIONEER”
Emphasizing that the separation of the field and VAR referees in Turkey is a very important decision, Hugh Dallas said:
“This is a very important point and I think Turkey is leading the way. If you have a heart problem and you’re going to go to the doctor, you don’t go to see an orthopedic surgeon, you go to see a heart specialist. The same goes for refereeing. VAR is a different series from refereeing on the field of play. “VAR does not involve any management on the field, you always need a field referee who can manage, protect and control the game. VAR works in the room, not on the field. I think Turkey is one step ahead.”
Drawing attention to the importance of the hybrid system applied in the Super League referee appointments, the former Scottish referee said, “The most important point here is to assign the right referee to the right match. At the end of the day, you have to choose the right referee. I was at the Galatasaray-Konyaspor match and I told the authorities that the right referee was appointed. If this system is for a long time. If it continues, I will be happy about it.” he said.
“BEST REFEREES ARE IN THE RIGHT POSITION AT THE BEST TIME”
Emphasizing that they talk to the referees after each match in Turkey and make video evaluations for their development, Dallas said, “This process does not change anywhere in the world. It works through referees. All referees must have good physical condition. They must be at the highest level physically. Referees make big decisions right. he has to be sure to get it. When the referee feels he has made a mistake when he makes a decision, maybe he is in the wrong position. The best referees are in the right position at the best time and make the right decision. One of the best referees in Turkey (Cüneyt Çakır) has retired. Young and talented referees I don’t think there’s any reason why he shouldn’t come.” expressed an opinion.
Finally, Hugh Dallas, who also conveyed his views on Turkish football, said, “There was a very passionate, loud and fantastic fan in Turkey. This is a very important thing. Super League is a very high level league. The referee should respect the players and the players should respect the referee. Turkish Football will continue to grow day by day.” made its assessment.