Will VAR Stay? Premier League Makes Decision
Premier League clubs have voted to keep VAR for the next season in a meeting held this Thursday.
The vote, which ended 19 to 1 in favor of keeping the technology, was initiated by Wolverhampton Wanderers, who criticized VAR for its errors, for taking away the excitement of the game, for increasing match time, and for the interruptions it causes, as well as the lack of decisiveness it gives referees. The only club that voted for its removal was Wolves.
However, the Premier League confirmed that improvements will be made to ensure better use of VAR in the competition.
These include "maintaining a high standard for interventions, ensuring better consistency and fewer interruptions during matches," reducing the time it takes for VAR decisions, partly thanks to the introduction of semi-automatic offside technology already used in UEFA competitions, improving the fan experience with stadium announcements by the referee after a decision, and whenever possible, replaying the incident on the big screens.
They will also work with PGMOL, the Premier League's refereeing body, to improve VAR training courses, emphasizing the speed of the process while maintaining accuracy.
Additionally, they plan to run campaigns with fans to clarify the role of VAR and to increase transparency and communication about what happens between the VAR room and the referee, by showing this on TV programs.
According to Premier League data, eliminating VAR would cause more than 100 errors per season, while last season the technology only made five mistakes, an improvement from the 2022-2023 season when there were 11 incorrect VAR interventions.
