Howard Webb has stated that a significant adjustment to VAR may be coming to the Premier League.
Premier League referees are planning to use stadium PA systems to explain why they modified their decision following a VAR intervention, according to PGMOL chief Howard Webb. Officials will soon be able to explain why a previous judgment was reversed after visiting the pitchside monitor to increase the information available to supporters and clubs.
This season, VAR has come under strong scrutiny for a lack of clarification as well as blunders, but that issue could be resolved soon with the positive move.
A live broadcast of the interaction between referees and VARs is not permitted, but football’s lawmakers, the IFAB, have been testing what they believe is the next best thing for more than a year.
According to reports from January, in-game public explanations are set to be featured in the Premier League next season.
On the most recent episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up, Webb provided an example from Brentford’s 0-0 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion on April 3 to confirm that enhancements to the fan experience were being considered.
“It does require improvement. When you hear samples from shows like these, you can understand what’s going on. “It all becomes clear,” Webb told Michael Owen.
“You’ll hear the referee, Andy Madley, on the screen saying, ‘I’m going to speak to Lewis Dunk to explain why the penalty he believes he should have isn’t going to happen because he fouled [Yoane] Wissa before that.'”
“We are looking for methods to improve the in-stadium experience. One thing you may have seen in FIFA competitions, such as the Women’s World Cup, is the referee’s announcements after they have appeared on the screen. We’re looking into that.
“We’re keeping an open mind about whether we can use that in the Premier League.
“For situations like this, it would be really useful for the referee to be able to speak to all of the people in the stadium – [to explain] the rationale for why you didn’t give a penalty because of the foul that happened before the penalty appeal when Dunk fouled Wissa.”
Nottingham Forest’s dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions reached a boiling point during their disputed 2-0 defeat to Everton earlier this month.
The City Ground club fired back at PGMOL with an incendiary social media post, claiming that they had expressed concerns over Stuart Attwell, a supporter of relegation rivals Luton Town, working as the VAR.
Webb has subsequently revealed that Forest were unfairly denied one of the three penalties they believed they should have received at Goodison Park, when Ashley Young brought down Callum Hudson-Odoi.
PGMOL currently appears to be planning a welcome adjustment that should reduce misunderstanding among supporters, players, and clubs.
