PGMOL and Premier League to release match officials’ and VAR audio

In-game audio from match officials and VAR operators will be made public in the Premier League for the rest of the season.

The Premier League and PGMOL have committed to regularly releasing the audio from matches in a bid to offer greater transparency for refereeing decisions.

The move comes after PGMOL were forced to apologise after Liverpool’s Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. The Premier League statement confirmed that match officials Darren England and Dan Cook had made a “significant human error” in disallowing the goal.

How to listen to Premier League VAR audio

PGMOL have committed to a regular release of in-Game audio, but officials’ comments will not made instantly available. Instead the audio will be featured in a regular television show called ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ that will air both in the UK and internationally.

The show will see PGMOL chief Howard Webb joined by former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen to analyse and explain key refereeing decisions from recent fixtures.

‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ will include the use of match audio from officials and VAR teams to help explain the process behind decisions.

Organisers have confirmed that an episode of ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ will air on Tuesday 10 October.