VAR’s limitations have become increasingly apparent in this Premier League season, with the recent high-profile error during the Tottenham vs. Liverpool match serving as a reminder of the technology’s imperfections. This incident has lifted the veil on past errors that had gone unnoticed.
In response to these concerns, the PGMOL has taken action by promising and implementing new guidelines. These measures aim to temporarily mitigate some of the recurring VAR errors, providing a short-term solution to address the issue.
What are the VAR guidelines issued by PGMOL in the Premier League?
The Premier League may witness an increase in the duration of VAR decisions this upcoming weekend, as referees have been instructed to conduct more comprehensive reviews before making their calls.
The governing body for refereeing, known as the PGMOL, has introduced these adjustments in response to a mistake during the Liverpool vs. Tottenham match last weekend. During that game, VAR official Darren England was unable to rectify the on-field ruling that negated Luis Diaz’s initial goal, causing embarrassment for the officiating organization.
The PGMOL issued an apology for the mistake and shared the audio recording that revealed how Darren, despite initially arriving at the correct decision along with his colleagues, ended up making the error. In the audio, Darren was heard expressing panic stating, “I can’t do anything,” following guidance from his assistant VAR, Daniel Cook, and the replay operator, who had pointed out his mistake.
England’s frustration was evident, and he was heard using strong language when questioned by his colleagues. As a consequence of this incident, the official will not be assigned to any fixture this weekend, and he has also been excluded from officiating in any Liverpool games for the remainder of the season.
The PGMOL is also reevaluating its policy that permits match officials to oversee matches unrelated to FIFA or UEFA appointments. This reassessment follows an instance where Michael Oliver officiated a one-off match in the Saudi Pro League in April.
VAR blunders this season in the Premier League
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has found itself in the position of publicly admitting to its errors on several occasions in recent times, with the most recent acknowledgement coming in the context of the Tottenham vs. Liverpool match.
The goal Luis Diaz scored was initially disallowed by VAR and the referee for an offside. The VAR later acknowledged to the referee that it was a wrong call, but this was rather too late.
VAR’s inability to draw accurate lines for offside decisions was a notable issue in this case. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first instance where the PGMOL has openly acknowledged shortcomings in its officiating.
Manchester United secured a win against Wolves in the Premier League opener, but controversy erupted when Onana collided with Kalajdzic in the box. This incident would typically lead to a penalty, but instead, the Wolves manager was penalized for his touchline protest. Jonathan Moss from the PGMOL later issued an apology for the error.
The Tottenham vs. Brighton match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Tottenham, also witnessed PGMOL admitting to their mistakes and offering apologies. These incidents were followed by the Arsenal 1-1 draw with Brentford on February 11, 2023, and the Crystal Palace 1-1 draw with Brighton on the same date, although the order of these events is unspecified.
