Referees’ chief Howard Webb says there has been an 80% reduction in the number of video assistant referee (VAR) errors this season.
It has now been five years since VAR was introduced in the Premier League, but the system and the way it is used continues to attract plenty of debate.
According to the independent Key Match Incidents panel (KMI), there were 31 incorrect uses of VAR during the 2023-24 season.
In June Premier League clubs voted 19-1 in favour of keeping VAR after Wolverhampton Wanderers triggered a vote to scrap it.
An independent survey commissioned by the Premier League suggested that four out of five fans want to keep VAR in the league.
The Premier League has started explaining VAR decisions using a dedicated social media channel, but the introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) – originally scheduled for after either the October or November international break – has been delayed until 2025.
Webb – chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – has claimed that mistakes are down 80% this season.
“I don’t think we managed expectations well in terms of VAR,” the former Premier League referee told the Stick to Football podcast, external.
“We knew it was always going to be a situation where it was going to do well on those clear situations, the ones where you think, ‘that’s clearly wrong on first view’. We’re good at spotting those most of the time.
“We have this independent panel which has got ex-players on it, and they judge each decision each week, and according to the panel – which is independent from us [PGMOL] – there has only been two VAR errors this season compared to 10 at the same time last year.”
Webb added that greater emphasis has been placed on reducing the time taken to reach decisions.
“We’ve been better at hitting the mark but that can change and we’re not going to get complacent, but it’s been better,” said Webb.
“For me, the biggest thing of all is that it’s been quicker. The average delay last season through VAR was 70 seconds per game and this year it’s 25 seconds. It’s way better.
“I said to the guys, ‘don’t ponder for too long, if you see a situation that jumps off the screen at you then get involved, but if you’re having to think about it too much and analyse it too many times then just say check complete because we’ll leave it with the referee on the field’. That’s why the term, ‘referee’s call’ is useful.”
‘I was frustrated’ – Webb on Fernandes red card
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Howard Webb said Bruno Fernandes’ red card should have been overturned by VAR.
Though overall errors are down, Webb admitted that VAR failed to intervene when Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur last month.
Referee Chris Kavanagh showed Fernandes a straight red card in the 42nd minute for a late challenge on Tottenham’s James Maddison.
The Portuguese midfielder appeared to catch Maddison with a high studs-up challenge, but replays showed that Fernandes actually caught him with the side of his boot.
VAR Peter Bankes and assistant VAR Simon Long did not overturn the decision because they mistakenly thought it did not meet the threshold for an on-field review.
“We released the audio, you can hear the assistant referee – who’s got a good view of it – just saying ‘that looks awful, 100% red [card] for me’,” said Webb.
“From his angle it looked it, because it looks like the studs have gone in. But then there’s another angle shown on the replay on Sky Sports. Straight away I’ve gone ‘that’ll be an overturn’, but it wasn’t.
“I was frustrated that we didn’t step in to rectify it because it was clearly wrong in my opinion. He slipped, he tried to trip him but it was the side of the foot and he didn’t drive the studs in. If he had then it would have been a red card.”
United went on to lose the match 3-0 and Fernandes’ red card was overturned on appeal two days later. He was sent off during United’s next match, a 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League.