the trouble is writing the standard down

We have created a system where a toe or a shoulder 1cm past is offside and removes a goal, and yet we willingly encourage players to fall down for little reason in order to get the referee to whistle a foul. My least favorite is when they fall down and grab the ball forcing a whistle. That should be an automatic caution for deliberate handball.

Applauding the technology for getting the VAR calls correct fails to see the forest for the trees. I want players to stop acting like wankers. That 1cm toe or a ball touching my hair is not being a wanker. Deliberately falling down to influence the referee is being a wanker.

I will note in the great Messi / Ronaldo debate, that Messi is one of the few players who stays on his feet through contact when he knows he can score anyway. It is his most admirable trait. I don't understand why more soccer players don't feel obliged to approach this standard of behavior. That is why rugby players will forever call soccer players soft. They willing choose to be soft because the state of the laws and refereeing encourages soft behavior.

I agree that rugby has the best implementation of VAR of any sport. It appears that NRL (Australian Rugby League) and the NFL are starting to adopt some of the same standards (the hip drop tackle being the most recent). I encourage soccer to coordinate with League and Union and see what they have learned.