Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?
After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
– How VAR decisions affected every Prem club in 2022-23
– VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
JUMP TO: Brentford 3-1 Liverpool | Man United 3-0 Bournemouth | Leeds 2-2 West Ham | Villa 1-1 Wolves | Everton 1-4 Brighton
Possible penalty: Burn foul on Gabriel
What happened: In the 59th minute, Bukayo Saka delivered a free kick from the right flank, which was punched clear by Nick Pope. Gabriel went down under a challenge from Dan Burn, but referee Andy Madley took no action and the game continued.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: For a holding offence, the law asks if “contact with an opponent’s body or equipment impedes the opponent’s movement.” Burn almost pulled Gabriel’s shirt round, so there’s a clear argument for a penalty, but was the VAR, Stuart Attwell, wrong not to get involved?
When does the pulling of the shirt turn from normal football contact into a foul? And do referees often look for too much contact for a penalty? FIFA tried to address this during the World Cup, for the group stage at least, with some success but still with questions over consistency.
Shirt pulling is rarely looked at by the VAR; holding with both arms around the attacker is taken more seriously. Of the 15 penalties awarded following a VAR review in the Premier League this season, seven have been for handball, seven for a foul when playing for the ball and only one for any kind of holding offence — when Wolverhampton Wanderers‘ Matheus Nunes dragged down Nottingham Forest‘s Ryan Yates.
VAR review: An easy decision for the VAR this time, as it certainly wasn’t a penalty.
The ball hit Murphy’s left arm, which was tucked into his body.
VAR review: This wasn’t disallowed because it was an own goal by Konate; accidental attacking handball only applies to the goal scorer. Had the ball gone straight into the goal after hitting Mee’s arm, it would have automatically been disallowed. It’s the same as the ball hitting Aleksandar Mitrovic‘s arm before Tim Ream‘s goal for Fulham at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.
Mee’s handball would have to be deliberate, or his arm would have away from his body in an unnatural position.
It took the VAR, Darren England, over 1½ minutes to confirm the goal, which is perhaps too long when it did seem to be a clear own goal by Konate.
VAR review: A great spot by the assistant from a scramble inside the box which involved several plays of the ball.
When Ethan Pinnock heads towards goal, Wissa is stood off the pitch; Alisson then makes a save and Wissa mops up the loose ball to score.
Though Wissa (and Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold) is off the pitch, for the purposes of offside he is deemed to be on the goal line. So Wissa and Alexander-Arnold are level, but there needs to be two opposition players between Wissa and the goal for him to be onside.
VAR review: Another review which took 90 seconds, though this time the offside lines did need to be drawn.
As the ball touched Mee on its way into the back of the net, and Mee was in an offside position, it was a simple decision to disallow the goal. Any touch of the ball by a player in an offside position is an absolute offence.
