Referees’ chief Howard Webb has announced that video assistant referee (VAR) errors in the Premier League have dropped by 80% this season. This comes five years after VAR was introduced to the league, and despite ongoing debates about its implementation, the system has shown significant improvement.
Data from the independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel revealed 31 incorrect uses of VAR during the 2023-24 season. Premier League clubs voted 19-1 in June to keep VAR after Wolverhampton Wanderers proposed scrapping it.
A Premier League-commissioned survey indicated that 80% of fans are in favor of keeping VAR. To improve transparency, the league has started explaining VAR decisions on social media. However, the rollout of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), initially planned for late 2024, has been postponed to 2025.
Webb, who serves as the chief refereeing officer for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), credited this season’s improvement in error reduction. "I don’t think we managed expectations well in terms of VAR," Webb said on the "Stick to Football" podcast. He acknowledged that while VAR works well for obvious mistakes, challenges remain. According to the independent KMI panel, there have been only two VAR errors this season compared to 10 at the same time last year.
Webb also emphasized the focus on reducing decision-making time. "The average delay last season through VAR was 70 seconds per game, and this year it’s 25 seconds," he said, urging officials to act promptly or leave decisions to on-field referees.
While VAR errors are down, Webb acknowledged one notable failure during Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Bruno Fernandes was sent off after a controversial challenge, but replays showed the decision was mistaken. "I was frustrated that we didn’t step in to rectify it," Webb admitted. The red card was later overturned on appeal.
Fernandes was sent off again in Manchester United’s next match, a 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League.
