Casting light on a great business model for squash
By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Roving Reporter

After a great night’s sleep, my friend Etienne takes me by car to revisit the club where I played as an exchange student at the Faculte de Lettres at Angers University, Squash du Lac de Maine. This club, situated reasonably close to the campus where I was based, had not long opened its doors back in 1985-86 when I was there, but these days is a thriving hub of squash activity.

I am greeted by the owner, Philippe Pouffer, who admitted that he was probably coaching squash at the club back when I was first there. We will be joined later by his son Florian, who has recently entered the family business as co-owner.

As I know my way around the club, I have a quick scout about and am once again in awe of the first feature of this club that I have always admired – the amount of natural light that comes into the building. In fact, Philippe proudly boasts that one of the five courts is the only one in France that does not require any artificial lighting, during daylight hours at least.

We chat about the business model and general philosophy behind the running of this successful club, which boasts over 750 individual players that come through its doors. These are mostly casual leisure players, but at least 100 of them have also taken out full memberships.

Philippe is a true believer in catering for the leisure player through arranging fun internal competitions, social events and doing the maximum to encourage people to play different opponents. Every Friday, there is a team match, with a more serious individual competition every month. These are always followed by a social gathering in the bar, or a trip into town for a meal at the club’s partner restaurant. There is also a club ranking system, with challenge matches being used to change positions.

In addition, Philippe takes the stress out of arranging matches by matching opponents. All a player has to do is put their name down for a court and Philippe will find an opponent for them to play. This is by far the most common method by which matches are arranged at the club. This is also a good way of players getting to know each other, of playing opponents at different levels and most importantly of allowing players’ games to develop and strengthen.

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Once we are joined by Florian, we move on to discuss World Squash Day, which both father and son admit to not having been aware of up until now. I encourage them to consider staging an event on Saturday 12th October.

Finally, we agree to consider an exchange event for next year, with me bringing a team of English players over and Philippe and Florian then matching us with a Lac de Maine team. Perhaps we could organise this during the 2020 French Open, so we could combine it with a visit to Nantes to watch the action?

Etienne and I then nip back over to Les Ponts-de-Cé to the south of the city where he lives, to collect his son Romain. After a good lunch, we head into Angers city centre to revisit some of the main sights. If you have not been, it really is worth a visit.

Like Nantes, there is a fine Chateau, which is a bit older than the one at Nantes, although it was expanded to its current size around the same period that the Nantes Chateau was built. It is certainly bigger than the one in Nantes, but I will let you be the judge of whether bigger is better …

Tomorrow (now today, Friday), I return to Nantes, firstly to watch the inaugural Amateur French Open at La Maison du Squash, before finally linking up with the Lings crew for a much-needed hit at D’Sport and Co. I then will meet up with the Squash Travel Tour group at the Chateau to watch the semi-finals.

À demain …

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Pictures by JAMES ROBERTS

Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson says being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis just five months before the Rugby World Cup was a "freak thing".

The 27-year-old, who has won two international caps, was ruled out for three months in April and missed out on England's 31-man squad for Japan.

"Something like that is not just really an injury," Robson told BBC Sport.

"It is to do with your health as well so it makes you think a lot more. It was very difficult."

Robson made his England debut during this year's Six Nations, appearing from the bench in the games against France and Italy - scoring a try in the latter match.

He was then withdrawn from the squad to face Scotland on 16 March after the discovery of blood clots, which Wasps said "arose spontaneously" in the week before the game.

"I had to go through a lot more different stages and make sure my health was the main priority," Robson, who is now off medication and back in full training, added.

"It was tough, and being in the middle of the Six Nations was not ideal timing.

"I have had all the blood tests done and sat down for hours on end trying to think of what could have made it occur.

"We came to the conclusion that it was one of those freak things - I probably got a knock and had a little bleed.

"It might have been lurking there for a little bit. It was frustrating and I'm glad we found it when we did."

Robson 'told to be ready'

England coach Eddie Jones named Robson in a training squad for a camp in London at the end of June, but the Wasps man was not included in the 38-man squad for a training camp in Italy the following month or the final travelling party for the Far East.

"It is a World Cup and I want to be there," Robson said. "It is not something I have hidden.

"You are always frustrated [at missing out on a squad] as you want to be playing for England."

Robson has been named co-captain of Wasps for the start of the domestic campaign while regular skipper Joe Launchbury is away on duty with England in Japan.

However, with Leicester's Ben Youngs and and Gloucester's Willi Heinz the only scrum-halves in the England squad, Robson could yet be handed a late call-up to the if injury or illness arises.

"That's all I have been told - to be ready," he added.

"Things happen and it is a long tournament. The training we are doing at Wasps is definitely going to keep me in shape."

The English domestic season kicks off on Friday, 20 September, with the Premiership Rugby Cup, followed on Friday, 18 October, with the start of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign.

Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial have been ruled out of Manchester United's Premier League clash against Leicester City on Saturday, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying he could be without seven senior players for the game.

Pogba (ankle) and Anthony Martial (muscle injury) are also expected to miss Thursday's Europa League encounter with Astana, while Diogo Dalot (hip), Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Eric Bailly (knee) are also due to miss the Leicester clash.

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And Solskjaer, whose United team have made the club's worst start to a season in 27 years, said he could also be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka (back) and Jesse Lingard (illness) following their withdrawals from Gareth Southgate's England squad last week.

"The treatment room been busy and still is," Solskjaer said. "I don't really know who will be available.

"Maybe Aaron, maybe Jesse. But that's it, from the ones who have pulled out. I can't promise they'll be available either.

"Pogba won't be fit unless he has had a miraculous recovery overnight or before the game. He has not been ready to do 100% training.

"We hope more can be ready for West Ham next week and Paul and Anthony are in that category. I think they'll be ready for then, I can't say more really.

"But you have players who can come in with loads of experience -- Juan [Mata], Nemanja [Matic], Ash [Young]. They are the ones who have to step up now."

Leicester have started the season unbeaten and face United sitting third in the table.

And Solskjaer admits that Brendan Rodgers's team will a stern challenge to his injury-hit team.

"Leicester want to push into the top four," Solskjaer said. "They have got good players and a very good manager.

"Brendan's teams always play good football and we need to play good football to get three points."

Andrew Strauss, England's former director of cricket, is set for a new role with the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] following his appointment as the chair of the board's cricket committee.

His new role will involve "monitoring and developing the delivery" of men's and women's professional cricket, as well as disability cricket, national counties, clubs and universities cricket and the talent pathway, the ECB said in a release.

Strauss, who recently received a knighthood, had been England's director of cricket between 2015 and 2018, his appointment to that role coming soon after England's exit from the 2015 World Cup. Under his watch, England made significant strides in white-ball cricket, reaching the final of the 2016 World T20 and winning their first ODI World Cup earlier this year. The team's Test fortunes, however, did not see as sharp an upturn as the limited-overs results.

In October 2018, Strauss stepped down from the role in order to spend more time with his family as his wife, Ruth, underwent treatment for cancer. After her death in December, Strauss launched a foundation to help raise funds to research rare forms of lung cancer and to provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their families.

"It is a real pleasure to return to ECB in this new capacity. ECB and the whole cricket family have been a vital source of support over an extremely difficult year and it's really great to be back at Lord's, a place that has become a second home to me," Strauss said in a statement. "I'm extremely passionate about developing and growing cricket in England and Wales and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Cricket Committee to continually drive all aspects of the professional game, including women's, men's and disability cricket.

"I've seen first-hand how this summer of cricket has inspired more people to fall in love with the sport and I can't wait to help build on its success and support the roll-out of ECB's strategy to grow the game, Inspiring Generations."

Peta Bee on what’s in and what’s out when it comes to some current theories on nutrition for athletes

Three or four decades ago, an athlete’s nutritional preparation most likely amounted to little more than eating copious amount of carbs in the form of pasta, bread and potatoes, swigging flat cola and recovering with a glass of milk. Dozens of athletes I’ve interviewed from the 1970s and 1980s admit their diets lacked any scientific input with pre-competition meals consisting of anything from toast and jam to digestive biscuits.

Fast forward to today and sports nutrition is a science in itself, athletes armed as they are with cutting-edge pea protein products and nitrate shots, practicing bizarre sounding rituals such as carb-rinsing and tactical dehydration.

So what’s in and what’s out in terms of nutrition – and which products, if any, do you really need to invest in to fuel your training?

OUT

Carb loading

In the 1960s, researchers began to show how muscle glycogen levels could be influenced and, as a result, endurance could be enhanced work time improved.

Cue a craze in the early 1970s for ‘carbohydrate loading’ among marathon runners who trained to exhaustion to deplete glycogen stores, then ingested a low-carb diet for two to five days before a race.

This carb depletion phase was followed by a loading of pasta, bread, rice – any carbs they could, 70–85% carbohydrate, up to 600g or more of carbohydrate for one or two days before they raced. It soon became apparent that any gains were matched with downsides – athletes typically gained 2-3kg (mostly fluid as glycogen is stored in the body with water), felt poorly, and were anxious about their performance.

By the 1980s, a modified approach, dubbed “loaf-loading” by some, saw athletes ease down completely on training and just eat more carbs before a race.

IN

Carb manipulation

For a while it seemed that carbs were in danger of drifting completely out of fashion in favour of high fat and high protein diets – something that triggered warning lights among sports nutritionists. According to the IAAF consensus statement: “The usefulness of high fat, low carb diets is limited to selected individuals, events or scenarios in distance events.”

A 2017 study on elite race walkers conducted by Louise Burke, nutritionist for the Australian Institute of Sport, concluded that a low carb, high fat diet significantly “impairs performance in elite endurance athletes despite a significant improvement in peak aerobic capacity”.

Strategic carb manipulation is key for today’s athletes – that means consuming more carbs on training days that require them for fuel and fewer when the energy and training demands are lower.

OUT

Excessive use of sports drinks

Hydration for athletes in the 1970s and early 1980s typically meant water or homemade concoctions such as flat cola, a popular beverage among top marathon runners of the era. Ron Hill drank nothing when he won the 1970 Commonwealth Games marathon. Neither did Mike Gratton when he won the 1983 London Marathon.

But when isotonic sports drinks became popular in the late 1980s and 1990s, the claims that their unique concentration of easily digestible carbohydrate particles could enhance endurance performance resulted in an obsession with over-hydration. Athletes were encouraged to drink before thirsty to avoid dehydration and it was recommended that at least 500ml per hour of fluid was consumed during endurance training and events.

IN

Tactical dehydration and carb ‘rinsing’

In the most recent consensus statement published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, Dr Mitchell Rosner, a kidney specialist from the University of Virginia school of medicine and a group of 16 independent experts from four countries, stressed a reliance on listening to your body.

“We recommend using your thirst as a guide,” he says. “If you drink when thirsty, you will not become hyponatremic and you will not suffer from significant dehydration.”

Tactical dehydration is a growing trend. “Think about it,” says John Brewer, professor of applied sports science at Bucks New University. “Each litre of fluid lost equates to approximately 1kg of body weight. Carrying around less weight has a positive impact on endurance performance, so people train their bodies to cope with dehydration, rather than fighting to prevent it.”

And, while sports drinks remain an essential endurance aid, the practice of mouth rinsing – when you swill and gargle (but don’t swallow) a sports drink – is now common. According to the recent IAAF consensus statement, the ‘mouth sensing’ of carbs that occurs when you do this can hold benefits for the brain and energy systems.

OUT

Milk and meat protein

As early as the 1940s, scientists had shown how protein could enhance muscle mass if taken by power or strength athletes, but thought it was of little use to endurance athletes. During the 1950s and 1960s athletes increased their protein intakes through diet and “training tables” and focused their intakes on high quality sources such as milk and beef.

IN

Whey, soy, pea and hemp protein

The rise in protein products has been phenomenal. Intensive marketing campaigns by supplement companies have suggested that protein and amino acid products should be consumed within a two-hour window for optimal recovery.

However, in 2018, a panel of scientists assembled by the American College of Sports Medicine published a position statement on sports nutrition which suggested that while eating protein an hour or two after intense sessions may help to reboot glycogen stores more quickly, there’s no evidence that it has a direct impact on recovery.

And there are signs that things are turning full circle. A study cited by the IAAF and conducted at the University of Stirling and McMaster University in Canada, concluded that athletes’ diets do not “require an overemphasis on protein-containing foods and, beyond convenience, there is not a suggestion for a need to use protein or amino acid-based supplements.”

Instead, sports nutritionists are once again recommending athletes drink milk, which contains whey naturally, as studies have shown that it’s just as effective in promoting muscle synthesis after resistance training and suggesting that protein demands for even elite level training can be met with ordinary food like tuna, milk and eggs.

OUT

Mug of tea or coffee

Caffeine is one ergogenic nutritional aid that has never gone out of fashion. Although it was banned in high concentrations by WADA between 1984 and 2004, athletes in the 1960s and 1970s swore by the stimulatory effects of a pre-race cuppa for a competitive lift.

IN

Strategic caffeine dosing

Caffeine has proven advantages on focus and energy levels, but it’s how you take it that now matters. James Collins, an elite sports nutritionist who has worked with Olympic medallists and the 2018 World Cup-winning French football team, says that timing your java intake is crucial. “For optimal performance in an event or exercise session, caffeine should be taken around 45 to 60 minutes beforehand.”

Caffeine remains in your blood for three to five hours so “a 4pm pick-me-up coffee at work might be enough to deliver the requisite boost to performance in your evening training session at 6pm,” he adds.

Peta Bee on the dietary supplements that might provide a performance boost

Blackcurrant capsules

Try: Curranz (£21.75; curranz.com)

Research presented at the 2018 International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference confirmed that berry anthocyanins — the potent antioxidant pigments that give the fruits their deep purplish colour — help to improve blood flow to muscles and prevent muscle stiffness after exercise.

They are also good for your ticker according to Glyn Howatson, a professor in sports science at Northumbria University, who in his latest study found that people with the highest anthocyanin intake were 9% less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.

Cherry shots

Try: Cherry Active (£25; active-edge.co.uk)

Professor Glyn Howatson’s work at Northumbria has also investigated the natural anti- and anti-oxidative power of U.S. Montmorency tart cherries, (see choosecherries.com) popular as juice and shots. His work is cited in the International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement, which highlights the use of tart cherry nutritional supplements as an evidenced based recovery strategy.

Not all scientists agree – a Cochrane review published in 2018 by experts at Sheffield Hallam University showed that antioxidant rich products such as cherry juice did not result in any meaningful reduction in muscle soreness after exercise. But there are other reasons to try them – they contain melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that is critical in the regulation of sleep in humans and have a natural inflammatory effect.

Nitrates

Try: Beet it! (beet-it.com)

Nitrates, compounds found in the vegetable that are converted by the body to nitrite, not only relaxes and widens blood vessels but influences how efficiently our cells use oxygen. A growing body of evidence suggests nitrates play a role in improving blood flow, maintaining immune function and cardiovascular health and also potentially enhancing performance.

Consume nitrates and the mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of our cells, are able to utilise oxygen more sparingly, thereby conserving energy.

Some studies have suggested that a good dietary intake of nitrates lowers the oxygen cost of exercise to such an extent that endurance rises by up to 15%. On a weight for weight basis, rocket supplies the most, almost four times the amount in fresh beetroot.

Swiss chard, oak leaf lettuce and rhubarb also contain high levels. Beetroot is popular because of its convenience – it can be juiced to provide the concentrated measured doses essential in laboratory settings – but there’s plenty of evidence that shots of it can be useful.

Natural hydration

Try: SOS Hydration (£8.99; hollandandbarrett.com) or Veloforte (£5.50; veloforte.cc)

As athletes move away from excessive use of sugary sports drinks, manufacturers are responding with a range of more natural hydration products. SOS Hydration, developed by athletes to WHO recommendations, come as a powder that you mix into water.

It provides easily absorbed concentrations of electrolytes, which will help you to stay hydrated and replace the electrolytes lost
in your sweat, and glucose, which will top up your energy stores.

And Veloforte’s range of sports recovery drinks providing energy, sodium and potassium as well as micronutrients, contain purely plant-based ingredients.

Vitamin D

Try: Healthspan Elite D3 (£19.99; healthspan.co.uk)

It is the nutrient of the moment and getting enough of the sunshine vitamin – so-called because the most efficient source is the sun as it is synthesised when chemicals in the skin react to ultraviolet rays – can speed up your recovery from sessions and enhance your overall exercise performance.

Adults need at least 400 international units – or 10 micrograms – of the vitamin every day (children under the age of four need 7 to 8.5mcg).

Dr Graeme Close, a researcher in sports nutrition and exercise metabolism at Liverpool John Moores University, found that “even using conservative guidelines” up to 70% of the recreational and serious athletes he tested had worryingly low vitamin D levels.

In tests on a group of footballers who were given either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo Close found that, after eight weeks of training, the nutrient group showed significant improvements in 10m sprint times and vertical jumps – compared to no change among their placebo counterparts.

It is found in fortified cereals and dairy products, oily fish, cod liver oil, milk and eggs, but the best source is sunlight.

Iron

Try: Blueiron (£14.99; blueiron.co.uk) which contains vitamin C-rich blueberries that help iron absorption and Healthspan Elite Iron Complex (£10.99; healthspan.co.uk), a non-constipating formula which also contains immune-boosting copper.

Men of all ages and aged 50 to 64 years need 8.7mg iron a day; for women aged 19 to 50 years it is 14.8mg a day. To find out if you are low, you need a blood test from your GP which will determine if your haemoglobin levels are below the normal range of 130-170g per litre (g/l) for men and 120-150g/l for women.

Low levels can have a huge impact on performance and some marathon runners are prone to “foot-strike haemolysis” where red blood cells are damaged by the feet repeatedly hitting the ground over many miles of training which reduces haemoglobin levels.

Of the two types of dietary iron, the haem iron in meat, fish and poultry is better absorbed, but pulses, tofu, sardines, prunes, leafy green veg and salmon all contain iron.

Add beetroot leaves to salads as they contain more iron per serving than spinach. Gut-friendly probiotics can also help. In a 2015 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, a team of Swedish scientists reported that the “intake of probiotics can increase iron absorption by approximately 50%.

Bicarbonate of soda

Try: Sodium bicarbonate capsules (£9.99; pas-nutrition.co.uk)

So called ‘soda-doping’ – drinking a bicarb solution before training as a means to enhancing performance – is popular among athletes. Why? Because of its alkalinity, bicarbonate of soda is thought to act as a buffer against performance-limiting by-products that lead to soreness and fatigue. And there’s reams of evidence it might work.

One study conducted at the University of Hull and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning showed that swimmers who took a drink containing bicarb recorded a 4% improvement in performance compared to those who took a placebo of salted water.

“It’s a useful ergogenic aid for some people,” says Damien Gleadall-Siddall, a researcher in sport and exercise nutrition and biochemistry who carried out the trial. Paul Andsell, a researcher at the University of Northumbria’s school of sport, exercise and rehabilitation, says it helps to prevent a build-up of negative metabolites, such as hydrogen ions, which cause the pH of a muscle
to drop and become more acidic, during intense training.

“If these negative metabolites build up, it means the muscle cells can’t contract as forcefully,” he says. A dose of 0.2-0.4 grammes per kg of body weight should be consumed 60-90 minutes before a training. For an 80kg male, that means 16-32 grammes of sodium bicarbonate as a supplement or added to water.

Like it or not, Video Assistant Referees are here to stay. The International Football Association Board, football's lawmaker, has set out the protocol and this is how it will be applied in the Premier League.

JUMP TO: Handball | Offside | Check and review protocol | Red and yellow cards | Penalties

GENERAL

What will the VAR review?
- Goal/no goal
- Penalty/no penalty
- Direct red card (not second yellow card/caution)
- Mistaken identity (when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player)

What will it not review?
- Any yellow card (including second yellow card leading to red)
- Any free kick offence outside the box (other than red card offence)

Can a player or manager request a review?
No, all incidents are automatically checked by the VAR.

Questions & Answers: VAR

⚽ Only the referee on the field of play can take decisions; the VAR cannot! So can the referee stop the game, consult the VAR first, and only then decide?

➡ Everything you need to know: https://t.co/g97G2ZQwTM

❓ #AskTheIFAB your question about VAR. pic.twitter.com/ExpYBTvA5x

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) March 13, 2019

Does the VAR make the final decision?
No, this will always be taken by the match referee. The VAR may advise the referee to change his decision, but the final call must always be the referee's.

Who is in the VAR room?
In the Premier League there will be a lead official, who will make judgements on all reviews. There will also be an assistant official, who continues to watch the live game while the lead handles a review. The third person is the Hawk-eye operative, who controls the technology and is independent of the decision-making process.

When does the VAR check an incident?
Every moment is watched for an infringement or missed incident and all goals are checked.

Some people expected that VAR would disrupt flow of the game too much. The facts are:

- over 30 minutes per match the ball is already NOT in play
- on average only 1 VAR decision in 3 matches is reviewed @LeuvenU based on >800 games/20 competitions https://t.co/GDKKoq36WH pic.twitter.com/saI1p2YTLi

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) September 5, 2018

What does "clear and obvious" mean?
If the referee's description of an reviewed incident does not accurately match replays, it may be considered he has made a "clear and obvious" error. This is grounds for a decision to be reversed.

Which replays does the VAR watch in slow motion?
Slow-mo is only used to judge the point of contact on a foul or handball, or where the place an offence took place. Over-riding judgements will always be made from real-time replay.

Can a goal be disallowed for an offence in the build-up?
Offside and fouls by an attacking player will be checked and any offence will see the goal ruled out and a free kick awarded to the defending team. The VAR can also check for ball out of play.

Does the same apply after a penalty has been awarded?
Yes, any offence prior to the award of a spot kick is checked, including whether it took place inside or outside the penalty area.

Can a goal be disallowed if it comes following a wrongly-awarded corner?
Restart decisions, such as corner kicks and throw-ins, cannot be changed once play has restarted, so the goal would stand.

Can a match be called off if VAR stops working?
A match is not invalidated by malfunctioning VAR or if an incorrect decision is made.

Should fans in stadiums be better informed?
This is a work in progress. Messages are displayed on big screens or electronic advertising boards and, in some instances, replays are used to explain decisions. But these are controlled by the home club's staff, so could be subject to delay or incomplete information.

Does a VAR review take too much time out of the game?
The ball is only in play for an average of 60 minutes per game, so most reviews will be completed when it is naturally out of play.

Is VAR aiming for 100% accuracy?
In 2018-19, the Premier League calculated that 82% of key match-changing incidents were correct and it hopes, with the help of VAR, to raise that number to around 96%. The fact that some decisions are subjective, though, means that 100% accuracy is impossible.

HANDBALL

What is going on with handball?
The IFAB changed the law for this season to try and eliminate uncertainty when a goal is scored. This means that any contact with the hand/arm of an attacking player that leads to or creates a goal -- even if accidental -- is against the laws of the game.

Surely a referee missing a slight offence is not a "clear and obvious" error?
Like offside, it has been decided that handball leading to a goal is a binary decision. If it happens, the goal will be disallowed.

We have seen this twice in the Premier League already: Leander Dendoncker of Wolves was denied at Leicester after a Willy Boly handball and Man City had an injury-time winner against Tottenham chalked off after the ball brushed Aymeric Laporte's arm.

What is different if the ball comes off a defender's arm?
A defending player can still be adjudged to have accidentally handled the ball, so it is not automatically an offence, creating a two-tier handball law.

Will VAR be strict on defensive handballs?
The Premier League says nothing will change with its interpretation of handballs by defenders, so do not expect a glut of penalties as seen in FIFA and UEFA competitions.

For instance, the penalty given to Liverpool after the ball struck the arm of Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko in the Champions League final would not have been awarded in the Premier League.

So this is not VAR's fault?
VAR is purely enforcing this new law.

OFFSIDE

Is offside judged as a "clear and obvious" error?
Offside, like the ball crossing the line, is considered a binary and objective decision. For example, a player will be adjudged offside even if only his toes are in front of the last defender.

On the season's opening weekend, Manchester City had a goal disallowed at West Ham after Raheem Sterling's shoulder was shown to be just ahead of the last defender.

This was how close that VAR call was...

This season will be fun? pic.twitter.com/jUnhmA2CJ3

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) August 10, 2019

Does someone draw lines on a TV screen?
The Premier League (and FIFA) uses Hawk-eye 3D imaging technology, which judges offside by the part of a player's body furthest forward (excluding arms). Several cameras are used to judge the offside line.

How does the VAR decide which frame to use?
The first point of contact of the passing act is key, not the point of release. The Hawk-eye operative will select three frames for the VAR, who will choose the one that best represents that first point. From this frame, the 3D imaging is activated.

Is VAR 100% accurate for offside?
Present technology means it cannot be 100%, but it does allow officials to make a more informed decision than by using the naked eye in real time.

Why not use a margin for error on tight calls?
MLS and the A-League have chosen not to use calibrated lines or Hawk-eye technology, instead preferring the naked eye to analyse the freeze frame while looking for anything they categorise as "clearly and obviously wrong."

The IFAB is set to discuss this and could change protocol even if technology is in place.

Why not look for "daylight" between defender and attacker?
This would give a huge advantage to the attacking team. Moreover, the "marginal point" would just go further back and players would still be offside by millimetres.

Is the assistant referee instructed to keep his flag down?
If the call is exceptionally tight, the assistant can raise the flag when the attacking move ends. This could, for instance, mean a corner is cancelled and offside given. Similarly, referees have the right to let play continue if it is felt there could be an attacking advantage.

This differs to UEFA and FIFA competitions, in which flags are kept down unless a player is clearly offside. This means play can run on unnecessarily.

Questions & Answers: VAR

Is there a limited period after an incident for the referee to undertake a VAR 'review'? What if play after an incident has stopped and been restarted?

➡️ https://t.co/g97G2ZyW2e

❓ #AskTheIFAB your question about video assistant referees. pic.twitter.com/gyWZGA8wjk

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) April 10, 2019

CHECK AND REVIEW PROTOCOL

What is the difference between a check and a review?
Check: The VAR watches the replay of an incident before allowing play to continue. Most checks are completed so quickly that players and fans are not aware they have happened.

Review: The referee might delay the restart of play -- signalled by placing his finger to his ear -- while the VAR investigates a possible offence. The referee might also watch the incident on a pitch-side monitor.

How does the referee signal a decision has been changed?
A rectangular TV signal is made with both hands before the official points to where the infringement took place.

What is the difference between use of VAR 'check' and 'review' signal?
CHECK: referee stops play by pointing finger to ear and extending other hand/arm to communicate with the VAR
REVIEW: referee makes the 'TV signal' and changes or confirms his decisionhttps://t.co/iPIDbKrz78 pic.twitter.com/4lMxxX7iFT

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) September 25, 2018

Is there a time limit for a review?
No, accuracy is deemed more important.

When should the referee stop play for a full review?
If a clear incident has been spotted, such as an obvious red card or penalty, play will be stopped when the ball is in a neutral area. Otherwise, it will continue until the ball is dead.

So could Team A score a goal, only for it to be disallowed and Team B awarded a penalty?
Play would revert back to the point at which the offence occurred, so it is possible for there to be a two-goal swing.

In a February 2019 Serie A game, the VAR ruled out a goal that would have given SPAL a 2-1 lead in the 79th minute. Instead, Fiorentina got a penalty and went on to win 4-1.

How far back in play can a review go after a goal is scored?
This decision is based on the Attacking Phase of Play, which begins when the scoring team starts the attacking move toward goal and ends when it is completed. However, an attacking move can be considered to have reset to create a new phase if the defence has regrouped.

Last season, Liverpool scored against Southampton when Mohamed Salah was offside from the first pass forward. However, play carried on for some time after this point and the Saints defend would have reset. Therefore, this goal would not have been ruled out even though there was an earlier offence.

"VAR is like a parachute - it's better to have it when you need it"

Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of @FIFAcom Referees Committee, about benefits of using VAR: constant support for a referee, fewer protests from players and off-the-ball incidents.

Interview https://t.co/FduKmLlx6O pic.twitter.com/Whmovo9OGL

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) August 22, 2018

What is the process for a subjective review?
- The VAR advises the referee that a check is taking place for a possible infringement
- The on-pitch official is asked to describe the incident why he came to his decision
- The VAR watches the incident in real-time speed to judge the referee's view
- If the VAR considers a true and accurate description of the incident has been given, the check ends and play continues
- If the VAR thinks a "clear and obvious" error has been made, he can advise that the decision is changed. However, he referee does not have to accept and can stay with his own decision

What is the "high bar" for decisions in the Premier League?
The Premier League does not want the pace of play to be affected, so will not micro-analyse subjective reviews; if a mistake is not immediately apparent, a decision is unlikely to be reversed.

In Manchester City vs. Tottenham, a penalty was not awarded for an alleged foul on City's Rodri by Erik Lamela of Spurs. On-pitch referee Michael Oliver told the VAR that Rodri had gone to ground, rather than forced down, and the review concluded no clear and obvious error had been made.

When will a referee use the pitch-side review monitor?
The Premier League believes referees work as a team and wants to limit occasions when the lead official watches an incident alone, so protocol states that the pitch-side review is not mandatory.

Monitors will only be used in exceptional cases, such as when an incident has not been seen, although the referee can insist on a pitch-side review for any incident, rather just take advice from the VAR.

Questions & Answers: VAR

Must the referee view the replay footage before making a final decision ('on-field review') or can he/she take a decision based on information from the video assistant referee?

➡️ Learn more: https://t.co/g97G2ZyW2e

❓ #AskTheIFAB your questions VAR. pic.twitter.com/BBGhaju3NZ

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) April 3, 2019

Outside England, UEFA, FIFA and many domestic leagues use pitch-side review for the majority of subjective decisions. However, factual decisions on offside and ball out of play are made by the VAR. Feedback from officials will determine the future of the policy.

How long should a review take?
The Premier League says that the average time for a full VAR review with an overturned decision is approximately 84 seconds. With regard to checks, there is an average delay of 22 seconds across an entire game.

Is lost time added on?
The referee will add any time used for a review to the end of the half.

When is it too late to review an incident?
Once play has restarted. The referee should pause the game if a review is being conducted, except for a potential sending-off offence relating to violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive gestures.

What is a referee blows his whistle before the ball goes into net?
This is a basic rule of football -- you play to the whistle. Once the whistle has gone, play is dead. There is nothing VAR could do to award a goal.

Questions & Answers: SIMULATION

The referee awards a penalty kick. The VAR review shows that an attacking player was guilty of simulation (pretended to be fouled). What is the referee's decision❓

➡ Find out more: https://t.co/TU3D8H5uxs pic.twitter.com/sgQDcP0n8t

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) August 7, 2019

RED AND YELLOW CARDS

Can VAR ever lead to a yellow card?
VAR cannot review a yellow card, but it can award one. For instance, if a player has deceived the referee to win a penalty. Also, any player who excessively appeals for the use of VAR -- including substitutes -- can be cautioned.

Can a player get a yellow card following a red card review?
A review for a direct red card can lead to a player's punishment being downgraded to a booking. For example, if there is a review for a high tackle that the VAR believes could be a red card, the referee could decide it is only worth yellow.

Questions & Answers: VAR

A referee initiates a video review in relation to a red card offence. Is the referee allowed to change decision after using VAR and show a yellow card?

➡ https://t.co/g97G2ZyW2e

❓ This is a question from @jesusguerrero11. #AskTheIFAB your question. pic.twitter.com/T2u90ymIXb

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) May 6, 2019

Can a red card be rescinded as well as shown?
If the VAR advises that a player should not have been sent off, the sanction can be downgraded to a yellow or rescinded entirely.

If a decision is overturned, are yellow and red cards quashed?
Only for denying a goalscoring opportunity or the stopping of a promising attack. Any other cards shown between the infringement and the stoppage of play would stand (dissent, for instance).

PENALTIES

When will VAR get involved in a penalty kick?
It will only check for an encroaching player who gets directly involved in the outcome -- after a save, or rebound off the post, for example -- and to check that a player has not stuttered his run directly before taking the kick.

Sergio Aguero missed a penalty for Man City against West Ham, but a retake was ordered because Declan Rice encroached and was first to the rebound. Had a non-encroaching player been first to the ball, the kick would not have been retaken.

Questions & Answers: VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREES

May VAR be used to check/review offences committed during a penalty kick?

➡ Everything you need to know: https://t.co/g97G2ZyW2e

❓ #AskTheIFAB your question about video assistant referees. pic.twitter.com/OfysgjH37v

— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) April 29, 2019

What about a goalkeeper staying on his line?
The revised law states that a goalkeeper must have one foot on the line when the penalty is struck and was stringently enforced at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

UEFA, the Premier League and the Bundesliga subsequently decided that the law will only be enforced if it is blatantly flouted, which means we are unlikely to see VAR ordering a retake in major competitions. However, on Aug. 21, the IFAB insisted that leagues with VAR must enforce the Laws of the Game, making specific reference to penalty kicks.

This rule will not be enforced if a player misses the target or hits the woodwork. It will only apply to a goalkeeper save.

A penalty is awarded but a review overturns the decision. How does play restart?
In the case of no foul, with an uncontested dropped ball to the goalkeeper. If there was an attacking infringement in the build-up, like offside or a foul, play restarts with a free kick to the defending team.

Club football is back! Nick Miller gets you ready for all the Premier League action with a new-look weekend preview.

THE WEEKEND'S BIG QUESTIONS

Will Newcastle pull another performance out of the bag against Liverpool?

Newcastle United have a case for being the strangest team in the Premier League. They're a pretty uninspiring bunch, for the most part, but have nonetheless pulled off two of the most impressive results of 2019, being the last team to beat Manchester City and, of course, claiming an unlikely victory against Tottenham a few weeks ago .

Both of those wins were thanks to solid, stubborn and maybe even boring defensive displays that nevertheless worked, frustrating their superior opponents and nicking the crucial goal. So will they be able to pull off something similar against Liverpool this weekend? You wouldn't think so facing Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah (assuming they pass to each other) but then again, you wouldn't have expected them to do it in the other two games either.

Liverpool could be faced with a tough old task on Saturday but should prevail.

Can Tottenham get themselves out of their funk?

Instinctively looking at the fixture list, you might assume Spurs vs. Crystal Palace at home is just the game to help them get over whatever funk they appear to be in. But then you remember that remarkably, only Liverpool and City have gathered more points than Roy Hodgson's side since the start of February. Not quite so straightforward, then.

"Now, for sure, it was so important to be refocused," Mauricio Pochettino said on Thursday, revealing that he had an hour-long meeting with his squad after they returned from the international break. "It was very good to talk today for nearly one hour and refocus again on our objective."

There was always a gnawing sensation that Pochettino was using the uncertainty of the transfer window as a smokescreen to deflect attention from deeper problems at Tottenham, but we'll soon find out whether that's true or not. If they lose to Palace, he can no longer use the excuse that his players are distracted by events elsewhere.

Will Quique Sanchez Flores make a difference vs. Arsenal?

The dismissal of Javi Gracia by Watford wasn't that surprising: what was more of a shock was the reappointment of Quique Sanchez Flores. Yet there is some logic to it: Flores' strength in his previous spell in charge was keeping their defence tight and the Hornets haven't kept a clean sheet since February.

It's unreasonable to expect too much this weekend: he's been back for only a week and many of his squad will have been on international duty. But if he wants an immediate test of his ability to fix things at the back, it will come in the shape of Arsenal with a potential front three of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe. Those three could well be rubbing their hands in glee.

THE GAME YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO WATCH ... BUT SHOULD

If you've got room on your DVR or in your busy schedule for one match this weekend away from the title race, we've got you covered.

Sheffield United vs. Southampton

You could make a decent argument that this weekend's tussle at Bramall Lane sees the two most interesting managers in the Premier League face each other.

Chris Wilder and Ralph Hassenhuttl have had massive impacts on their respective clubs: Wilder has taken Sheffield United from perpetual League One frustration to the Premier League, while Southampton resemble a viable top-flight team after the husk of nothingness they'd become with Mark Hughes in charge. The two men have different styles, but this could make for a fascinating clash. We reckon the hosts will edge it.

A TEAM THAT NEEDS A BIT OF LUCK

Luck is everything in sports. Get acquainted with ESPN's Luck Index as we pick out the team most desperate for good fortune amid a difficult run. Here are the big takeaways from the 2019 edition as explained by Gab Marcotti.

Manchester United: Perhaps we've been fooled a little by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's assertion that Manchester United are doing all the right things and it will all click soon, but they have arguably been slightly unlucky not to have more than five points to show for their efforts. They are underperforming their xG rate, and only four teams have taken more shots so far.

Do they need luck or just to improve their finishing? Definitely the latter, but a dash of the former would help out, too.

ONE THING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND

Goals, goals, goals at Carrow Road: If you're hungry for goals this season, Norwich are the team to watch. Their four fixtures have seen 16 go in, second-most in the Premier League so far, and happily enough the only team above them are in town on Saturday as Manchester City come to town. Hopefully we haven't jinxed this into a 0-0, but expect to see them fly in at Carrow Road this weekend.

MAN TO WATCH

Christian Eriksen: Pochettino insisted this week that Eriksen has always been happy at Tottenham, despite spending most of the summer trying to get out of the club and in all likelihood spending the season running down his contract so he can leave for free next summer. However, with the injury to Giovani Lo Celso meaning the creator most likely to displace him is no longer a factor, the onus will be back on the Dane and the Dane alone to provide Tottenham's creative spark against Crystal Palace.

STATS OF THE WEEKEND

Information provided by ESPN Stats & Information Group

- Liverpool could set a club record for winning streaks if they beat Newcastle this weekend. Their 12-game run is tied with a similar effort from April to October in 1990. Meanwhile, their ongoing 42-game unbeaten run (32 wins, 10 draws) is second only to Chelsea's 86-game streak (2004-08) in the Premier League era.

- Manchester United are 1-4-4 in their past nine Premier League games. If they lose or draw vs. Leicester this weekend, it would give the storied club their fewest points in a 10-game league span (seven or eight) of the past 12 seasons. Yet a good sign might be their form vs. the Foxes: United have a 17-game home unbeaten run (13 wins, four draws) in all competitions dating back to Jan. 21, 1998.

- Don't bet against Palace this weekend. They're averaging 2.08 points per away game in the league dating back to Dec. 22, 2018. Only Man City (2.54) and Liverpool (2.18) have more over the same span. Equally, Harry Kane has averaged 0.25 goals per game against Palace over the past five seasons. It's his second-worst return against any club over that span: he averages 0.17 goals per game against Newcastle, who beat Spurs 1-0 back in August.

- Will CONCACAF's big rivals thrive at Molyneux on Saturday? Raul Jimenez (Wolves) and Christian Pulisic (U.S.) could become just the second Mexico-U.S. tandem to score in a single match in the Premier League since El Tri international Guillermo Franco and American great Clint Dempsey did it in Fulham's 3-2 win over West Ham on May 2, 2010.

- Everton love playing on Sundays: they're unbeaten in the league in 2019 with five wins and two draws when playing on the second day of the weekend.

OUR BOLD/RECKLESS PREDICTIONS

Liverpool 4-1 Newcastle: Another easy home win for Jurgen Klopp
Manchester United 2-2 Leicester: More trouble for the hosts
Brighton 2-1 Burnley: Big home win for relegation battlers
Sheffield United 1-0 Southampton: Wilder prevails in must-see skirmish
Tottenham 2-1 Crystal Palace: Pochettino and co back on track
Wolves 2-3 Chelsea: Defining victory for Frank Lampard?
Norwich 1-5 Manchester City: Look away, Canary fans
Bournemouth 1-2 Everton: Liverpool's second team keeps winning
Watford 0-2 Arsenal: The Gunners are different this year
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham: Jack Grealish to make the difference?