VAR’s future in the Premier League has been called into question after Wolves proposed a vote next month to scrap it.
Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at what happens next.
What has happened?
Why Wolves?
What happens next?
What has the Premier League said?
Clubs also voted on April 11 to introduce semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) in the autumn. Top-flight sources have said the technology is expected to cut the average length of a VAR check for offside by 31 seconds.
League sources do not see any way in which SAOT could be kept if the rest of VAR was scrapped.
The league also points to the improvement in correct ‘key match incident’ decisions – up from 82 per cent in 2018-19 to 96 per cent in the current campaign. The Premier League is also working with the game’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to progress towards ultimately using VAR audio live in the future.
The league believes scrapping VAR would significantly impact on its reputation as a leading competition.
What about fans?
FSA VAR Survey stats – a thread…
Almost 10,000 fans took part in the FSA’s National 2023 Supporters’ Survey – only one in 20 (5.5%) of fans who had experienced VAR in stadiums rated their experience of it as good or very good.https://t.co/LK7PokcrYi pic.twitter.com/p99D2hgg2Z
— The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) May 16, 2024
The Wolves 1877 Supporters Trust welcomed their club’s statement and called on other trusts to lobby their clubs in support of the proposal. A survey of almost 10,000 fans conducted by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) last summer found almost two-thirds of fans (63.3 per cent) opposed VAR, with 74.6 per cent having supported its introduction in a 2017 survey.
The 2023 survey found just one in 20 who had experienced VAR in a stadium rated their experience of it as good or very good. More than 90 per cent agreed decisions take too long to make and 95 per cent highlighted VAR had removed spontaneity from goal celebrations.
“There are more correct decisions than ever but 19 out of 20 fans find VAR makes football less enjoyable because of delays and the removal of the immediate joy associated with goal celebrations,” the FSA said in a social media post on Thursday.
“Goal-line tech still has wider support as it is almost instantaneous.”
Does VAR still have its supporters?
He said earlier this week: “I have 12 apologising letters at home already during the season with offside goals and penalties not given.
“If we would’ve used VAR during this season, we wouldn’t be in the play-offs. We would’ve been promoted automatically.”
Leeds would be one of the clubs voting on the proposal should they get promoted via the play-offs.