Thread by @DaleJohnsonESPN

VAR is in its third season in the Bundesliga, and you can see why 63.2% of players polled in Germany are unhappy.

People may criticise VAR in the Premier League, but there are more overturns in Germany and the refs are still getting things wrong.

Some stats...

So far this season the Bundesliga has seen 61 overturns in 153 games - that's 0.40 overturns per game.

It's markedly less in the Premier League - 72 overturns in 245 games - 0.29 overturns per game.

While the dream scenario is that the VAR process gets quicker, in Germany they have experienced the opposite.

In 2017-18 a review took on average 57 seconds.

In 2018-19 that rose to 61 seconds.

This season, it's 79 seconds (handball law and offside tech to blame)

The head of referees in Germany, Lutz Michael Fröhlich, says the aim is to get that average back below a minute, something that will only be achieved if the forensic nature of VAR is looked at.

There is a real issue, in general, of referees searching for an infringement.

If VAR is to be a success, referees need to take reviews on face value.

Has anything clearly happened whereby a fan could expect a goal to be disallowed? Has there been an appeal?

If no one has seen the offence in real time, is it right to forensically punish this?

Of the 61 VAR overturns in Germany, the stats say that four of these led to an incorrect overturn - 93.44%.

There were also two correct VAR interventions, but the referee incorrectly stayed with his on-field decision when he should have overturned.

Stats in the Bundesliga also show that there were two reviews which weren't necessary, but ultimately led to the correct decision.

The VAR has also missed 8 incidents which should have led to review and overturn.

So let's not kid ourselves that other leagues have nailed VAR.

The Bundesliga has improved incorrect decisions, partly due to use of Hawkeye crosshair offside tech.

Taking the average, this season it's on course to be 8 incorrect reviews. In 2017-18 (no offside lines) it was 11, in 2018-19 (calibrated offside lines) it was 19.

Germany, much like other leagues, is desperate to improve communication with fans in the stadiums.

In addition to improved use of giant screens for replays, Bundesliga referees could also communicate their decisions via headset to the stadium speakers / TV.

The use of a communication device may be some way off yet, as it "needs to be more specific, and referees must have been trained sufficiently before it can be introduced in the stadiums."

If the IFAB gives the A-League to go-ahead for live trials, we many get there quicker.

VAR was introduced into the 2. Bundesliga this season too, but there have been far more errors from the officials.

Of 65 VAR interventions, only 52 (80%) have actually been correct. Including the VAR error which gave a penalty after a Holsten Kiel sub touched the ball in play.

Some stats for La Liga, where VAR is also used in the top two divisions.

Stats are combined for both divisions.

150 overturns (with 7 mistakes) in 432 games, 0.35 overturns per game - again more than the 0.29 in the Premier League (Bundesliga higher still at 0.40).

If you think VAR reviews take too long in the Premier League, you should check out the *average time* in Ligue 1.

VAR-only review: 1 minute 38 seconds
Pitchside VAR review: 2 minutes 33 seconds

91% of VAR reviews in the Prem are done with 60 seconds.

VAR interventions are highest in Serie A - 52 in first 120 games this season. That's 0.43 a game, higher than the Bundesliga.

Serie A refs' chief Nicola Rizzoli admits this is too much.

Pitchside reviews take a similar amount of time to Ligue 1 - 2 minutes 11 secs on average.

Serie A refs chief Nicola Rizzoli (in Nov): "This year we are already at an intervention almost every two games, while last year at this point of the season the ratio was one to four. It means that we are not doing well, but this is also because the regulation has changed."

Rizzoli's reference to the change in regulations is again about both the handball law, and Hawkeye offside technology, which has brought more VAR interventions to all leagues.

Full timings in Serie A:

Check: 32 seconds
VAR-only review: 1 min 23
Pitchside review: 2 min 11

It is worth underlining again, for those who reach the end of the thread, that the stats this season have been very much affected by the new handball law, and also new offside tech. It's added time and many overturns.