Latest news with #AVAR
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Collum admits 'good chance' ball over line in Rangers goal incident
The Scottish FA referee chief conceded that Nico Raskin's effort at Easter Road may have crossed the line before being cleared by Rocky Bushiri. This incident was followed by a lengthy VAR check after Hibs had raced up the park and equalised. However, Collum supported the decision not to award the goal due to the lack of a definitive camera angle proving the ball was over the line. In a candid discussion on the VAR Review show, Collum suggested the ball was likely in but defended the VAR and AVAR for adhering to protocol amidst criticism for their handling of similar situations in the past. Collum said: "Let's go back to two incidents this season first—Hibs vs Celtic, possible ball over the line, and Dundee United vs Hibs, possible handball before it goes into the goal. "We were criticised for both of those decisions, and rightly so, because ultimately, there was no conclusive evidence. "I know people who would look at this decision and say 'that camera angle, for me, is conclusive.' "But the reality is, that camera angle is at an angle looking in the way, there's nothing directly in line there." He referenced a similar incident from a World Cup match, where an angled camera shot suggested the ball was over the line, but a direct view proved otherwise. He continued: "Can the VAR and the AVAR there categorically, 100 per cent, say the ball was over the line? "Not for us. "Do I think it crossed the line? "I think there's a good chance it did. "But can I be absolutely certain of that? "No." Collum acknowledged the challenging nature of the situation, noting the difficulty in making a definitive call as the ball was off the ground in the final frame before being cleared. He said: "What doesn't help in this scenario is that the ball is not on the ground. "I think you could make a call here if the ball was on the ground, well over, there was loads of grass between it. "In terms of that camera angle, in terms of the ball being mid-air, can we be 100 per cent? "We don't think we can be."
Fox News
15-03-2025
- General
- Fox News
Veteran-led dig of Revolutionary War battlefield seeks to shed light on history, empower disabled vets
A group of disabled veterans were recently brought together to excavate a Revolutionary War battlefield — but it was far from the usual dig. The project, which was organized by the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR), took place over the course of four weeks and ended in February. Fourteen veterans came to Kershaw County in South Carolina to excavate where the Battle of Camden was fought in August 1780, but they weren't just looking for musket balls. AVAR founder Stephen Humphreys told Fox News Digital that the archaeologists-in-training were using GPS receivers to collect spatial data in order to learn more about the battle, which was considered a devastating loss for the colonial forces. "A lot of Americans haven't heard about it… but it's an extremely significant battle for the South in particular and for the North as well," the expert explained. "One of the big research questions is, you know, how much the American militia really fight, because the American militia really catch the brunt of the blame for losing the battle." Part of the mission was to improve historical understanding of the conflict by gathering enough data to generate a heat map of the battle's movements. "The American militia textual sources indicate that they break almost immediately… and so we wanted to see, 'archaeologically, is that true?'" Humphreys explained. "So we're working in those areas to see how much American fire is there over here. How much did the American militia actually engage before they retreated?" Looking for old artifacts may sound more straightforward than what the AVAR archaeologists are doing, but Humphreys emphasized that collecting spatial data helps shed more light on the movements of the battle. "[We're] using intensive metal detector survey to plot exactly where the different forces were during the battle, what the movements were," he described. "We're getting spatial data for every musket ball that's found on the site, plotting that on a giant GIS [geographic information system] map. And that allows us to see, ideally, where some of these units were on the day of the battle and where they weren't." "And what you end up with is basically a heat map that shows patterns on the battlefield, and we use that to evaluate where the troops were firing from, where they were firing at," Humphreys added. Humphreys, a U.S. Air Force veteran who deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, holds a Ph.D. in archaeology from Durham University. He has participated in digs across the world, ranging from Israel to Sicily to the U.K. Humphreys founded AVAR in 2016 to give veterans a chance to become archaeologists. Many of his students bring unique traits to the field, and Humphreys noted that a good portion of AVAR's veterans are disabled. "They're willing to put in the extra work… they have a profound appreciation for those sites as hallowed ground." "While most of our veterans do have various disabilities, we really focus on the strengths that they bring to the field," Humphreys said. "And we leverage those, which is why we focus so much on conflict sites. We really do find that military veterans bring a unique understanding and a unique respect for those sites." The AVAR founder also said that working on-site can help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression for disabled veterans — but the main focus of AVAR is to get them jobs. "They bring excellence and teamwork," Humphreys said of his veterans. "They can bond together really, really quickly. They understand how to get the work done. The veteran work ethic really is unsurpassed in this field." "Our vets do work harder than most of the other people out there, and they are in demand for that," he added. "And they're willing to put in the extra work, go the extra mile to find every artifact that might relate to that person and tell that personal story." Humphreys also described the American Revolution site as being "special," and noted that veterans often feel an attachment to such areas. "They have a profound appreciation for those sites as hallowed ground," he said. "You walk out there, you feel the wind blowing through the pine trees that are there now, and it's just got a presence to it." The excavation's partner organizations also included the American Battlefield Trust, the Historic Camden Foundation, the South Carolina American Revolution Trust and the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology. American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan told Fox News Digital that it was an honor to be part of the excavation. "AVAR's mission demonstrates multiple ways in which preserved battlefields remain impactful: as a means for us to deepen our understanding of the past through tangible exploration and as a venue for the betterment of the mental and physical well-being of veterans," Duncan said. "We were honored to bring this immensely impactful program to Trust-owned land and be a part of this meaningful program."
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Howard Webb: VAR made Everton vs Man Utd error – but decision to overturn penalty was right
Referees' chief Howard Webb has admitted officials made a mistake in not showing the correct replays of Everton's controversially overturned penalty in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United, yet insisted the correct decision was made. Everton players were left incensed after a foul on Ashley Young was overturned following a VAR review, which recommended referee Andy Madley overturn his decision to award them an injury-time penalty in last month's draw at Goodison Park. Webb has since conceded that Madley was not shown the correct angles of the incident as he did not get a clear look at the shirt pull committed by United defender Matthijs de Ligt, only angles that focused on his team-mate Harry Maguire, who had originally been penalised for the foul. Yet despite widespread opinion that De Ligt had committed a foul on Young – including former referee Dermot Gallagher claiming the Dutch international 'has got hold of his shirt for long enough to give the penalty' – Webb has insisted Everton should not have been awarded a penalty. 'When checking the sequence, the VAR and the AVAR, you'll see them looking at this wide angle to give the view on Maguire. You'll hear the AVAR talk about De Ligt and asking a question. Does De Ligt commit an offence or not,' said Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited technical director, to Michael Owen on Match Officials Mic'd Up. 'So they're aware of De Ligt having potentially done something. They form the opinion that Maguire is not committing an offence, but then they go on to ask the referee at the screen to consider the actions of De Ligt. But I absolutely acknowledge and accept the angles that are presented to the referee at that point don't show clearly enough what De Ligt does. Not penalise on the field, of course, but they want to show it. 'But they need to show him some of these angles earlier when he gets to the screen, instead of staying on the wide angle, which doesn't really show as clearly as is, needs to be shown De Ligt's actions. 'I'm not saying De Ligt's actions are a foul. They need to show this angle to be able to make that determination at the screen. And of course these angles were shown on broadcast. So the world is seeing these, and I guess that's where some of the criticism came from in terms of how this process played out.' Fresh footage of the discussion revealed that the VAR Matt Donohue recommended a closer look at De Ligt, highlighting: 'Before you leave the screen, just consider the actions of De Ligt as well. Again, I don't believe there to be a foul there but I'd like you to consider them for your viewing.' However, Madley was not shown a crucial angle from behind the goal that clearly displayed De Ligt twice pulling at Young's shirt as he ran towards the ball before the VAR review was completed. Webb: 'Not all contacts are a foul' Despite this admission, Webb doubled down that Everton should not have received a penalty. 'We've spoken during pre-season and during the season many times on this show about not all contacts are a foul. Just because you have a small tug it doesn't necessarily mean it's something you're going to penalise,' Webb added. 'We're trying to look for impact of that action and the way that Young falls forward. He spreads his legs. He kind of like throws himself forward somewhat in my opinion and it isn't commensurate with the amount of hold that you see from De Ligt. 'So we don't think this meets the threshold of a penalty in its own right. And that was certainly the view of the referee when he went to the screen and was shown momentarily the view from the angle behind the goal. 'But I accept that we should have shown not only that angle, but this angle that we can see here as well, so that he's able to make that full evaluation. And people at home watching this can see that he's had a full view of everything coming to the decision. I'm pretty certain he would come to the same decision anyway, but at least people would know that he's seen the full information.'
