BY Jonathan Ledger
The video assistant referee (VAR) system is set to be put to use in the English Premier League (EPL) next season.
According to a statement released by the league’s governing body, the decision was arrived at during a shareholders’ meeting where the board provided clubs with statistics of non-live VAR trials being undertaken by both league and referees’ body.
Clubs thereafter agreed in principle to adopt the technology, and the league board “will formally present its VAR request to FIFA and the international football board”.
Renewed calls for VAR in the EPL come on the back of horrendous decisions by referees, the pick of the bunch being the denial of Southampton’s legitimate goal last weekend.
Charlie Austin was ruled offside while replays showed otherwise, a decision which manager, Mark Hughes, said is keeping the league in the “dark ages”.
Furthermore, the league board stated that the non-live VAR trials will continue until the end of the season.
The statement read: “The Premier League’s non-live testing programme will remain in place for the rest of the season, with a continued emphasis on those Saturday afternoons which have several matches being played concurrently, and developing a clear protocol for communicating VAR decision to fans.”
VAR, successfully used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is also being employed in La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga. It has also been utilised in some FA Cup and Carabao Cup games.
Majority of EPL clubs voted in April against its use in the current season.
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