Premier League: Scrap VAR and expect 100 more wrong decisions

There would be 100 more incorrect refereeing decisions made per season if clubs vote to scrap video assistant referees (VAR), the Premier League has claimed.

The league sent a briefing document to all 20 clubs before the annual general meeting on Thursday, 6 June, explaining the reasons why it feels VAR should remain.

Wolves formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League in May, which triggered a vote on the continued use of VAR.

Premier League clubs are unlikely to vote through this proposal, though in-game VAR announcements are set to be introduced.

The club highlight as issues the negative impact on match-going fans and their experience at games, as well as what they claim is a more negligible impact on correct decisions.

“Wolves argue that the use of VAR has led to increased disengagement among the Premier League’s match-attending fans due to its adverse effects on the match experience, resulting in apathy, hostility and erosion of trust in football’s authorities and officials,” they said in the paper.

They added: “Premier League data shows an increase in correct decisions from 82% pre-VAR to 96% with VAR, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing errors.

“If we put aside the argument on whether the data is credible and convincing, while overall accuracy might be increased to a debatable degree, the cost in terms of match enjoyment and fan engagement outweighs these benefits.

“The integrity of the game is compromised by lengthy interruptions and inconsistent application of VAR protocols.”