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The Premier League has launched a six-point plan which it hopes will improve VAR, including using “referee’s call” to try to give better understanding of decisions to fans and players.
While the VAR will still be looking to identify a “clear and obvious error,” the Premier League wants to put the emphasis on the referee, underpinning a high threshold, rather than use the judgement of the video assistant.
A high threshold for intervention means that the “referee’s call” will stand unless readily available evidence can demonstrate there has been a clear mistake.
The six-point plan aims to achieve:
– Improve clarity of threshold for VAR intervention: “referee’s call”
– Reduce delays to the game: introducing semi-automated offside
– Improve the fan experience: pilot referees announcing decisions, increase messaging, lobby the IFAB for use of live VAR audio/video
– Improve VAR training and consistency: emphasis on speed of process while preserving accuracy
– Improve transparency: More proactive strategy, aligned with “referee’s call”
– Education and communications plan: Key messaging across clubs and media
More than 100 errors were corrected last season, but the Premier League concedes that a lot of work needs to be done around the perception of VAR and it will never be perfect.
A new account on X, formerly Twitter, will provide live updates with detailed explanations of VAR decisions, which will also be displayed inside stadiums.
Eyebrows were raised this week when Tony Scholes, the Premier League’s chief football officer, told the BBC that four out of five fans wanted to keep VAR.
The survey showed that 77% of Premier League followers and attendees wanted to stick with VAR, but only 10% said it was acceptable in its present form.
However, the Premier League is to concentrate on the 20% who wanted to get rid of VAR as the measure for changing opinion.
The Football Supporters’ Association hit out at the results of the survey, saying that “all of our work on VAR since its introduction into English football has shown it is deeply, deeply unpopular with match-going fans. Supporters’ concerns about VAR and its impact on the matchday experience have to be taken seriously — statements like this, that make the Premier League appear to be in denial, aren’t helpful.”
The FSA’s own survey said that only a 26.8% of fans said they were absolutely or somewhat in favour of VAR, with 63.3% against it.
Wolverhampton Wanderers attempted to get VAR scrapped in the Premier League last season, but lost the vote 19-1.