Even though it’s regarded as one of the top-5 national leagues in the world (for both men and women), the Brazilian Championship still doesn’t have the video challenge system implemented in its matches for the entire season.
Professional volleyball can no longer be imagined without the help of technology to assist in refereeing decision-making. It’s no longer a matter of personal taste, but rather a necessity to transform mistakes, often imperceptible to some pairs of human eyes, into points corrected by machines. That was the intention when the video challenge was officially introduced in 2014. Unfortunately for fans in Brazil, the 2022-23 season of the Superliga (both men’s and women’s) won’t see the technology used by all clubs in all games. Web Vôlei explains the problem.
The matches of the first rounds took place without the help of the electronic gaze. And complaints from participants on the courts are a common occurrence, just as they were in previous years. It seems that such a situation will continue throughout the regular season. The Brazilian federation (CBV) released an official note on the situation, guaranteeing the technology only in the playoffs.
A few years back, Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei was the first team to acquire the equipment and later transferred the operation to the Minas Gerais federation. And so it was possible to see the Superliga with due modernity. Last season, CBV bought two more kits. For this edition of the Superliga, the national entity bought six more. And yet the process doesn’t progress. There’s a lack of understanding of the responsibilities, money for the operation, and knowledge sharing to operate the technology. CBV, as the owner of the Superliga, wanted to outsource costs to the clubs. Many didn’t accept and the process stalled. Then came the suggestion of the governing body of volleyball in Brazil of using the last Superliga classification to define who could have the challenge in their games. It generated the same sense of injustice that was discussed years ago when only Minas Gerais teams had assistance in their matches.
Whether or not Brazilian fans have the opportunity to see better and more modern volleyball, which is the same opportunity fans in other top leagues (such as Italian, Polish, etc.) have, throughout the whole season, remains to be seen.
