but their decision to reinterpret a bunch of rules as of June 1st right in time for this World Cup. The delayed offsides, subs walk off anywhere, goal kicks don't have to leave the 18 yard box, drop ball rules, free kick walls, all to go along with stricter hand ball interpretation and that pk goal line stuff. The only way to enforce some of this stuff the way they seem to want to now is with the use of VAR, so it's almost as if underneath all those changes was a new expectation as to how VAR will be used within the game. Either 'clear and obvious' isn't part of FIFA's mandate anymore, or they're using VAR strictly right now to make sure their new rules get implemented and 'old calls' don't slip through.

The Japan goal wasn't really a VAR issue, unless you really disagree with it and think the ref should've went and looked at the screen and changed her mind. She made the call and VAR didn't intervene with the check because they had no grounds to with the current ruleset. I don't think that deserved to be a PK, but it's going to be going forward unless they explicitly say otherwise I think.

It's crazy they went from not planning on having VAR a year ago to changing their mind and then doing all this. If they don't implement similarly after this World Cup, or roll back these decisions, or don't put some major Men's competitions through this crap as well, it's going to reek of treating the women's game unfairly and differently for no reason at all.