Time to show FIFA a red card

It's bad enough that soccer is already the only major sport that produces "highlight" reels showing what almost happened during 90 minutes of non-action.

Now FIFA, in its infinite wisdom, has ordained that video assistant referee technology (VAR) will be used at this summer's World Cup finals in Russia, further stultifying a game that's desperately in need of more pace.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino sugar-coated last week's announcement in Zurich, saying all the right things about building "a more transparent and fairer sport" and giving the living, breathing game officials "much-needed help" - but it was a hollow endorsement.

The landmark decision to use VAR at the World Cup came two weeks after FIFA's rules panel voted to write video technology into the laws of soccer, and Infantino has pledged improved communication with officials and fans to make the system work.

World Cup referees will be empowered to call on VAR to review and overturn "clear and obvious errors," as well as "serious missed incidents" involving goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity on sanctions.

Sounds good in theory, right? But in the real world, it sucks. VAR's biggest impact will be to prolong games and subject soccer fans to the same momentum-killing stoppages that infuriate aficionados of the NBA, NHL and NFL.

There are now 14 - count 'em, 14! - on-court incidents that qualify for review in the NBA, all of which are painstakingly analyzed by a "war room" video crew in New Jersey. The NHL is even worse. As of last weekend, there had been 237 reviews of a single call - offside - so far this season, all relayed to Toronto for a second (and third, and fourth) look. And don't get me started on the lunacy of NFL video stoppages.