06 June 2024 , 12:50
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Clubs voted to continue the use of Video Assistant Referee technology in the Premier League, in a meeting this Thursday.
The 20 Premier League sides have agreed to focus on six key areas to improve its implementation, however. Those areas include raising the bar required for technology to intervene and reducing delays in the game.
The proposal to scrap VAR from Premier League action after five seasons was driven by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Any such change would have required 14 votes in favour from the 20 clubs.
Wolves suggested the time had come for 'a constructive and critical debate' on VAR's future and outlined nine negative impacts that the Premier League had suffered when instigating the vote. Ultimately, it always appeared unlikely their plan would be unsuccessful heading into the AGM hosted in Harrogate.
Chairman Jeff Shi even warned the Premier League risked being damaged forever if teams voted against the motion to remove the use of the technology.
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A Premier League statement read: "Premier League clubs today voted in favour of continuing to operate VAR in the Premier League. While VAR produces more accurate decision-making, it was agreed that improvements should be made for the benefit of the game and supporters.
"As part of thorough discussions at the Annual General Meeting, it was agreed that PGMOL, the Premier League and clubs all have important roles to play in improving the system and its reputation. As part of ongoing work to improve VAR, six key areas were focussed on as part of discussions with clubs:
- Maintaining a high threshold for VAR intervention to deliver greater consistency and fewer interruptions to the flow of the game.
- Reducing delays to the game, primarily through the introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and the maintained high threshold for VAR intervention.
- Improving fan experience through a reduction in the delays, in-stadium announcements from referees after a post-VAR change of decision and where possible, an enhanced offering of big screen replays to include all VAR interventions.
- Working with PGMOL on the implementation of more robust VAR training to improve consistency, including an emphasis on speed of process while preserving accuracy.
- Increasing transparency and communication around VAR – including expanded communications from Premier League Match Centre and through broadcast programming such as Match Officials Mic’d Up.
- The delivery of a fan and stakeholder VAR communication campaign, which will seek to further clarify VAR’s role in the game to participants and supporters.
Stuart Attwell checks the VAR monitor before disallowing the goal scored by Hwang Hee-Chan of Wolves"It was confirmed in April that Semi-Automated Offside Technology will be introduced in the autumn of 2024. The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.
"The Premier League and PGMOL will continue to lobby IFAB to allow greater flexibility in the Laws of the Game to allow live video and audio broadcast during VAR reviews."
PGMOL boss Howard Webb was a strong defender of VAR amid a number of controversies and complaints. He said earlier this season that it "would be foolish to take away a tool that can remove clear errors from the game - almost 40 this season. Usually, we have seen around 100 situations rectified through the use of VAR. Why would you want to take that away and leave those errors in the game?"
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