FIFA introduced the video assistant referee (VAR) system in the Laws of the Game in 2018, and the English Premier League adopted it at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season. This wowing technology, meant to help the referees with decision-making, has since then had several controversies that have evoked mixed reactions from fans, players, game officials and managers.
As a technology that monitors a dynamic game, PGMOL tries to ensure that VAR is effective, fair and consistent. They learn from their mistakes and aim to see they do not reoccur. Every VAR decision stirs different emotions in different people, with some running to top online sportsbooks to see how it affects the live odds. Other than the emotions, let us look at how VAR has affected EPL in general.
A recap on the 2023/2024 season
Actually, VAR statistics from last season showed that the technology assessed over 1,300 major decisions and made 105 correct calls and 31 incorrect ones, four fewer errors than those made in the 22/23 season. The season also displayed a 96% increase in correct decisions compared to the 82% pre-VAR.
The most scandalous mistake was the Luis Diaz goal that was disallowed in Tottenham vs Liverpool match on September 30, 2023. The goal was ruled as an offside though a replay revealed that it was actually onside, but a communication error by VAR Darren England caused the initial decision to stand. Though the head of referees, Howard Webb, apologized to the club, that did not change the fact that the goal didn’t count, and the game ended with a 2-1 win for Spurs.
After costly mistakes like the Luis Diaz situation, the officials became more cautious to minimize errors, and hence, VAR decisions became slower. The average delay to a game caused by one VAR review went up to 64 seconds from 40 seconds in 2022/2023.
Of course, the long wait for a decision can be frustrating, but sometimes, slow and steady wins the race. Sadly, even with all the extra caution, Wolves petitioned to have VAR scrapped from EPL at the end of the season after having many decisions against them. They were outvoted 19-1, but the Premier League committed to improve VAR.
The 2024/2025 season
The season has been off to a competitive start, with each team having played eight games so far. Regarding VAR, Webb reports that the errors have reduced by 80%, seeing that they have made only two errors until now, eight less than what they had made last season at such a time. There have only been 23 overturned decisions, including the most recent William Saliba situation that caused a lot of discussions among pundits, analysts and fans.
The Gunners’ star center-back was initially cautioned after fouling Evanilson of Bournemouth. This decision was overturned to a red card after an on-field review recommended by VAR revealed that it was a DOGSO foul. Saliba was sent off just 30 minutes into the game, and the ten men lost 2-0 to their opponents.
After several considerations, Arsenal settled on not appealing, so their great defender will have to sit out their big match against Liverpool at Emirates in the coming weekend. This was not so for the Bruno Fernandez case, who was sent off 3 minutes to half-time for a presumed high stud-up challenge in Man United’s game against Tottenham last month.
VAR acknowledged that they had actually made a mistake by not intervening when they should have overturned the incorrect on-field decision because replays showed that Bruno used the side of his boot. Though United lost 3-0 in that match, the red card decision was overturned 2 days later, after an appeal.
Expected Changes
Following the concerns and criticisms about VAR, PGMOL made a few changes this season to improve the system’s operation. Some include introducing the term, Referee’s call, which means that the on-pitch decision is significant and stands unless something is clearly and obviously wrong. This change is meant to reduce the number of VAR interventions in the Premier League, which is currently at a rate of 0.29% per game.
Another major expected change yet to be implemented is the semi-automated offsides technology, which allows decisions around offsides to be made quicker but with accuracy. The system will use sensors and cameras to alert VAR whether a player was offside at the moment of a goal, and the VAR’s work will be reduced to identifying whether the kick point was off, too.
Because releasing the VAR room audio after the match for transparency has not been as efficient, PGMOL has decided to give ‘near-live’ explanations of every decision VAR makes on X using the Premier League Match Centre account. This will allow fans to interact with the decisions in real-time, making the decision-making process clearer and more transparent. In addition, Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes and other officials have agreed to more replays on the screens to improve your experience as you watch the game.
Conclusion
Just like Wolves put it in their petition, the increased accuracy provided by VAR comes at a cost to the spirit of the game. The fact that you actually cannot celebrate too much immediately after a goal because it may be disallowed a few seconds later, along with the anxiety and tension of waiting for a VAR decision, takes away some fun from the sport. Not forgetting that a goal can be ruled out for the tiniest of margins, which takes away some of the perfect imperfections in the game.
PGMOL would like you to trust that they are doing their best to ensure that the system is efficient for identifying and correcting clear and obvious errors. With the new changes, the future of VAR in EPL seems promising as the technology tries to strike a balance between precision and the spirit of the game.
