Premier League managers reject idea to announce VAR decisions live in stadiums

The season has yet to start but VAR is already in the headlines ahead of fresh changes the Premier League hope will be positive steps forward, but managers have blocked one proposal.

Last season saw VAR come under scrutiny seemingly every weekend across multiple matches, it was introduced to help elevate the game but instead has become the talking point.

For 2024/25, improvements – or what we all hope will be change for the better – beckon, with six key areas identified as the focus to improve fan experience and reduce delays.

But a proposal to have VAR decisions announced live to crowds in stadiums by the referees has been rebuffed by the league’s managers, who sensed it would only prolong delays.

As reported by The Telegraph, in a meeting with referee chief Howard Webb and the Premier League‘s chief Football officer, managers aired concerns about decisions already taking too long.

It is hard to disagree with them, we’ve all sat around for far too long waiting for decisions to be made, never mind then having to wait to get the referee in position for an announcement.

ESPN, however, suggest there are still plans for a pilot scheme later in the season.

If you wish to find explanations for VAR decisions, the Premier League have launched an account on X, formerly Twitter, that will offer real-time updates and information.

The account will “provide live updates from Stockley Park including information directly from the VAR Hub,” and it will provide “clarification on refereeing and VAR.”

Welcome to the Premier League Match Centre X account. This page will provide live updates from Stockley Park including information directly from the VAR Hub. We will issue near-live updates on operational matters from all matches – including clarification on refereeing and VAR.

— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 13, 2024

Replays will be shown at stadiums of all disallowed goals supported by VAR and those scored but are subject to a check, though Anfield will obviously not be one of them due to having no screens.

It is at least one step towards ensuring fans know key incidents have been checked as there have been too many in the past that simply get overlooked without any explanation.

Introducing semi-automated offside Technology – which will come later this year – will be a big step towards reducing delays and, hopefully, how much we talk about VAR.

That is the dream, but can it be reality?