Referees’ chief Howard Webb has reported an 80% decrease in the number of video assistant referee (VAR) errors this season.
Five years after its introduction to the Premier League, VAR remains a topic of significant debate due to its implementation and usage.
The independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel recorded 31 incorrect VAR decisions during the 2023-24 season.
In June, Premier League clubs overwhelmingly voted 19-1 to retain VAR, after Wolverhampton Wanderers initiated a motion to eliminate it.
A survey commissioned by the Premier League revealed that 80% of fans support keeping VAR in the league.
While the Premier League has begun explaining VAR decisions through a dedicated social media platform, the planned introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), initially expected after the October or November international break, has been postponed until 2025.
Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), emphasized that VAR errors have significantly reduced 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.
“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
Despite the overall reduction in errors, Howard Webb acknowledged that VAR failed to intervene when Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off during their match against Tottenham Hotspur last month.
Referee Chris Kavanagh issued a straight red card to Fernandes in the 42nd minute for a late challenge on Tottenham’s James Maddison. Initially, it appeared that the Portuguese midfielder had caught Maddison with a high, studs-up challenge, but replays showed that Fernandes actually made contact with the side of his boot.
VAR official Peter Bankes and assistant VAR Simon Long did not overturn the decision, mistakenly believing the incident 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.