The BBC has reported that Premier League CFO Tony Scholes and Head of Referees Howard Webb have stated that over 80% of Premier League fans support VAR. While there have been some side effects, VAR should not be abolished, it will only be improved.
Premier League data indicates that the accuracy of refereeing decisions last season reached 96%, significantly higher than the 82% before the introduction of VAR. Last season VAR intervened 110 times in total, resulting in only 5 errors, with 105 correct decisions, an improvement compared to the 2022-23 season (116 interventions, 11 errors).
In response, Head of Referees Webb pointed out: “There were actually fewer errors last year than before, and only a few incidents still linger in the minds of fans.” CFO Scholes added: “According to our research, more than 4/5 people want to keep VAR, which means only 1/5 would like to get rid of it, which is a minority. Of the 80%, the majority want us to improve. Undeniably, the cost is to some extent unavoidable, such as delaying the game and reducing the fan experience. We know this, but it is an unavoidable part of VAR. We will not abolish VAR, our job is to ensure that delays are reduced to a reasonable level and improve the fan experience.”
The two authorities pointed out that the Premier League’s introduction of VAR was intended to correct “clear and obvious errors.” Therefore, the Premier League will continue to use the VAR system but will make some important improvements, such as: redefining when VAR should intervene in the game; shortening the time required for VAR intervention; introducing semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) in October, which will reduce the time required to check offside (VAR typically takes more than 60 seconds to decide on an offside, while the average decision time for semi-automated offside technology at the World Cup and European Championship was 31 seconds).
Scholes promised: “I think fans will see fewer VAR interventions and shorter delays in the new season, people will see higher efficiency.”
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