It has taken a few years later than other countries but the technological age has finally arrived in Scottish football.
To use the cliche, we’re at the dawn of a new era in the Premiership as the VAR era gets under way this weekend in Scotland’s top flight.
But be careful what you wish for.
The biggest misconception when it comes to video replays to assist referees is the presumption a second look will allow our much-maligned officials to make the correct decision.
But as we’ve seen elsewhere just because you have half a dozen different angles to review an incident there are no guarantees the outcome will be what you expect it to be.
Key areas to be reviewed
We can but hope the technological revolution will lead to the big calls being the correct ones but let’s not get our hopes up that it will be an all-singing and dancing success from day one.
For those who remain unsure of just what VAR will be assisting referees with then let’s have a quick refresh.
Straight red cards, penalty area incidents, goals and cases of mistaken identity are the four key areas which will be under review.
Mistaken identity is the only one of the four categories which should be straightforward. After all, surely a replay can determine who the guilty culprit is in an incident?
But goals – probably the biggest one of all – remains a grey area.
Definitively knowing a ball crossed the line is great but the virtual measuring tape comparing armpits and heels to work out whether a player was onside in the build-up to a goal being scored remains a frustratingly slow process.
Have a look at other countries and you will see the novelty has worn quickly.
VAR too late for Dons boss Jim Goodwin?
With a nod to Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin, you have to wonder whether he sees the irony in VAR sorting our straight red card and penalty area incidents.
His predicament at the moment is the prime example of the folly of introducing VAR after the season is under way.
Yes, we’re revisiting the Ryan Porteous affair again but indulge me.
Porteous pulled Liam Scales’ shirt, put him in a headlock then went to ground to win a penalty for Hibs to put them back on level terms when the sides met at Easter Road last month.
The Dons also lost the services of their defender for the whole second half as he was sent off following the incident.
To compound it all Goodwin, who was justifiably irate, accused Porteous of blatant cheating and has been hit with an eight-game touchline ban.
The appeal has been submitted, meaning Goodwin is back in the dugout until Halloween at least but it is far from settled.
It’s dangerous to make assumptions with VAR but you have to think that access to a replay would have given referee David Dickinson suitable evidence to change his mind.
In what has become a sliding doors moment for the Dons, a game-changing call had a huge knock-on effect at Pittodrie with Goodwin watching his side from afar as they were hammered 4-0 by Dundee United.
Whether you agree with Goodwin’s comments or not it’s fair to say he would not have said anything had VAR been in place at the time and cleared up what really happened.
Sporting integrity have been two buzzwords in Scottish football for years and there is an issue when decisions are made to change the way games are officiated midway through a season.
But hopefully any contentious decisions can be forgiven if we can have consistent, correct calls.
Even if it’s not from day one.
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