Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has reported an 80% decrease in video assistant referee (VAR) errors this season in the Premier League. Since the introduction of VAR five years ago, it has been a point of ongoing debate, but recent changes have seen a significant improvement.
According to the independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel, there were 31 incorrect VAR uses in the 2023-24 season. Premier League clubs voted 19-1 in favor of retaining VAR after Wolverhampton Wanderers triggered a vote to remove it.
A Premier League-commissioned survey showed that four out of five fans support keeping VAR. While efforts are being made to explain decisions via a dedicated social media channel, the introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) has been delayed until 2025.
Webb stated, “I don’t think we managed expectations well in terms of VAR,” during his appearance on the “Stick to Football” podcast. He noted that the KMI panel reported only two VAR errors this season, compared to ten at the same time last year.
In addition to the reduction in errors, Webb highlighted improvements in decision-making speed. Last season, the average delay due to VAR was 70 seconds per game, which has dropped to 25 seconds this season. Webb added, “For me, the biggest thing of all is that it’s been quicker.”
Although mistakes are down, Webb admitted that VAR failed to intervene when Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was controversially sent off in a match against Tottenham Hotspur last month. Referee Chris Kavanagh showed Fernandes a red card, but Webb believes the decision should have been overturned after reviewing replay footage. Fernandes’ red card was later rescinded on appeal, although United went on to lose the match 3-0.
Despite this specific incident, the overall improvements to the VAR system have been seen as a step forward in addressing long-standing issues.
