Premier League: Scrapping VAR Could Lead to 100 More Wrong Decisions Per Season
The Premier League has claimed that if clubs vote to eliminate video assistant referees (VAR), it would result in an additional 100 incorrect refereeing decisions per season.
In a briefing document sent to all 20 clubs before the annual general meeting on Thursday, 6 June, the league outlined the reasons for maintaining VAR. This follows Wolves' formal submission of a resolution in May, which triggered a vote on VAR's continued use.
While Premier League clubs are unlikely to approve the proposal to scrap VAR, new in-game VAR announcements are set to be introduced.
The Premier League's 'VAR Improvement Plan,' authored by chief football officer Tony Scholes, was distributed to clubs on Wednesday. This document, reviewed by BBC Sport, details the anticipated impact of removing VAR.
One key point is that without VAR, incorrect "match-defining" decisions by on-field referees would not be overturned. The document acknowledges that scrapping VAR would reduce game interruptions and delays but would lead to "significantly more officiating errors (around 100 per season), including highly contentious match-deciding incidents, potentially in critically important matches."
The Premier League also noted there were only five incorrect VAR interventions last season compared to 105 correct calls, an improvement from the 2022-23 season's 11 incorrect to 105 correct decisions.
Additional reasons cited for keeping VAR include contractual commitments to significant operating costs for the next three years. Removing VAR would make the Premier League the only major European league to do so, potentially damaging its reputation. Furthermore, English referees would likely be excluded from major UEFA or FIFA assignments, as regular experience with VAR is crucial.
The briefing document also addresses current issues with VAR, such as the time taken to make decisions. The average delay for a single VAR check was 64 seconds in the 2023-24 season, up from 40 seconds in 2022-23.
Expected changes include the introduction of in-game VAR announcements by referees, a practice FIFA implemented in several competitions last year, including the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Most Premier League clubs are expected to welcome these changes. BBC Sport reports that Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham support keeping VAR but demand improvements. Liverpool also opposes moves to eliminate VAR.
However, Wolves remain firm in their stance to scrap VAR, having issued their own briefing paper on Wednesday. The club argues that VAR negatively impacts match-going fans and their experience, with a more negligible impact on correct decisions.
"Wolves argue that the use of VAR has led to increased disengagement among the Premier League's match-attending fans due to its adverse effects on the match experience, resulting in apathy, hostility, and erosion of trust in football's authorities and officials," the paper stated.
They added, "Premier League data shows an increase in correct decisions from 82% pre-VAR to 96% with VAR, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing errors. If we put aside the argument on whether the data is credible and convincing, while overall accuracy might be increased to a debatable degree, the cost in terms of match enjoyment and fan engagement outweighs these benefits. The integrity of the game is compromised by lengthy interruptions and inconsistent application of VAR protocols."
