100 More Wrong Decisions if VAR Scrapped – Premier League

The Premier League has claimed that scrapping video assistant referees (VAR) would result in 100 more incorrect refereeing decisions per season. This statement was made in a briefing document sent to all 20 clubs before the annual general meeting on Thursday, 6 June, explaining why VAR should remain.

Wolves formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League in May, triggering a vote on the continued use of VAR. However, Premier League clubs are unlikely to support this proposal. Meanwhile, in-game VAR announcements are expected to be introduced.

The Premier League’s ‘VAR Improvement Plan,’ written by chief football officer Tony Scholes, was sent to clubs on Wednesday. The document, seen by BBC Sport, outlines the anticipated impact of removing VAR. It states that without VAR, some “match-defining” incorrect decisions made by on-field referees would not be overturned.

While scrapping VAR would reduce interruptions and delays, the Premier League predicts “significantly more officiating errors would be made (around 100 per season), including highly contentious match-deciding incidents, potentially in critically important matches.”

According to the Premier League, there were only five incorrect VAR interventions last season, compared to 105 correct calls. This is an improvement from the 2022-23 season, which had 11 wrong VAR decisions to 105 correct ones.

Another reason cited for keeping VAR is the Premier League’s “contractual commitments to significant operating cost elements of VAR for the next three years.” The league also warns that being the only major European league to remove VAR could be “potentially damaging” to its reputation. English referees might miss out on major assignments for Uefa or Fifa tournaments, as regular experience with both on-field refereeing and VAR is critical.

The briefing document acknowledges issues with VAR, such as the time taken for decisions. The average delay for a single VAR check was 64 seconds in the 2023‑24 season, up from 40 seconds in 2022-23.

One expected change is the use of in-game VAR announcements from referees, a feature Fifa introduced in several competitions last year, including the 2023 Women’s World Cup. These changes are likely to be welcomed by most Premier League clubs. BBC Sport understands Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham are among the clubs wanting to keep VAR, but they demand improvements. Liverpool also does not support the move to scrap VAR.

Wolves, however, remain firmly in favor of scrapping VAR and issued their own briefing paper on Wednesday. The club highlighted the negative impact on match-going fans and their experience, arguing that the impact on correct decisions is negligible.

“Wolves argue that the use of VAR has led to increased disengagement among the Premier League’s match-attending fans due to its adverse effects on the match experience, resulting in apathy, hostility, and erosion of trust in football’s authorities and officials,” they stated.

They added: “Premier League data shows an increase in correct decisions from 82% pre-VAR to 96% with VAR, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing errors.

“If we put aside the argument on whether the data is credible and convincing, while overall accuracy might be increased to a debatable degree, the cost in terms of match enjoyment and fan engagement outweighs these benefits.

“The integrity of the game is compromised by lengthy interruptions and inconsistent application of VAR protocols.”