Premier League clubs vote to keep VAR but demand improvements, speed and clarity
June 7 – Premier League clubs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of continuing to operate VAR in the Premier League.
Tag: VAR
AFC rolls out VAR to all four new club comps for 2024/25 season
May 29 – The Asian Football Confederation is to roll out VAR across the whole of its new three-tier men’s club structure from the start of next season, as well as the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League.
Premier League clubs to vote on removal of VAR
May 16 – After a season of highly contentious, sometimes game-changing VAR decisions, English Premier League clubs are set to vote on scrapping the system this summer.
Swedish clubs reject introduction of VAR into top-tier league
April 26 – Sweden is set to reject the introduction and implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after elite clubs voiced their opposition to the technology.
Bad day with the match officials prompts Forest to accuse VAR of being a Luton fan
April 22 – Following their 2-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest made the extraordinary accusation that the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] was biased against them as they tried to push out of their relegation dogfight.
Premier League to bring in SAOT to speed up and improve VAR decision making
April 12 – The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology next season to speed up decision-making after clubs unanimously agreed on the move at a shareholders’ meeting.
Premier League’s Scholes says VAR will improve, casts doubt over value of SAOT
February 8 – Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes has admitted that the in-stadium experience of VAR is poor for fans, but insists that it has improved refereeing in the English top flight.
LaLiga to open up referees’ audio for VAR decision-making to public
December 20 – In a landmark move, fans in Spain will be able to hear reasons for contentious VAR decisions following an agreement between the Spanish Football League (La Liga) and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
VAR error contributed to Espanyol regulation, rules Spanish court
December 15 – In a rare case of seeking justice for a wrong VAR decision, a Spanish judge has ruled in favour of Espanyol whose relegation in May was partly precipitated by a ‘ghost’ goal scored by opponents Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal’s Arteta charged by FA over VAR rant after Newcastle loss
November 17 – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been charged by the English Football Association (FA) over an explosive VAR rant following his side’s controversial defeat against Newcastle.
Arteta rants over VAR decision that saw Newcastle break their unbeaten record
November 6 – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has called out “embarrassing” refereeing decisions after a controversial VAR decision ended his team’s unbeaten streak in the Premier League.
Former PGMOL Hackett blows whistle on declining referee standards
October 26- Former head of English referees Keith Hackett has slammed “lazy” Premier League referees and called for Rugby-style sin bins to be introduced into football to combat cheating.
English referees boss Webb says VAR protocol reform is getting over the line
October 12 – English referees’ chief Howard Webb says steps have been taken to avoid a repeat of the controversy surrounding Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham that prompted nationwide debate about whether VAR should be scrapped altogether.
Klopp demands Spurs game is replayed after VAR blunders cost Liverpool EPL top spot
October 4 – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is calling for the club’s controversial Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend to be replayed after a VAR blunder cost his team a crucial goal.
Blundering VAR officials stood down after loss of focus on Spurs-Liverpool game
October 4 – A lapse of concentration and loss of focus by the VAR team led to Liverpool not being awarded a legitimate goal against Tottenham Hotspur, the referees’ body in England said on Tuesday after releasing the audio from the VAR hub from Saturday’s Premier League match.