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.
In this week’s VAR Review: Was William Saliba‘s red card for Arsenal the correct decision? And does that mean Chelsea‘s Tosin Adarabioyo should have been sent off? And why was Manchester City‘s winning goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers deemed to be onside? That and all the other high-profile incidents on a busy weekend for VAR.
VAR review: There are four factors that referees have to consider when judging if a player has denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) — which is a red card:
– distance between the offence and the goal
– general direction of the play
– likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
– location and number of defenders
It’s an assessment balanced across the four elements — though the further away from goal a foul takes place the greater the importance of the other three. For instance, there’s a greater chance for another defender could cover if a foul takes place in a deep position.
It’s about judging the probabilities, and when the likelihood of a shot on goal outweighs any doubts — and a couple of factors get this to the threshold of DOGSO for the VAR.
Importantly, the ball from Trossard is coming to a quick stop, rather than continuing to run through to David Raya, and it has been played in the direction of the goal. There’s a strong likelihood that Evanilson will gain control of the ball. Ben White isn’t in close proximity to realistically be able to make a challenge, so the location of defenders doesn’t help Saliba. Raya also isn’t coming out of his goal (the VAR showed the referee that the goalkeeper was backtracking rather than coming forward), so Evanilson has a very high chance of a shot on goal.
The best way to assess the situation is to imagine the picture with Saliba removed, meaning Evanilson has a clear run.
Then on Sunday, right at the start of Liverpool’s match at home to Chelsea, we saw a similar situation. Yet no two incidents are ever the same, each is individually assessed according to set criteria, be that DOGSO or, as we’ll come back to shortly, offside.
The foul by Tosin Adarabioyo on Diogo Jota did also happen a long way from goal, close to the halfway line. If we consider that the Saliba challenge just met the threshold for a VAR review for DOGSO, there were two very important differences which mean Adarabioyo’s yellow card was a justifiable outcome.
The pass forward meant the ball was spinning toward the right channel, rather then toward goal. Levi Colwill was also on the cover behind which places doubts about Jota gaining control, and as the Liverpool player would not have had a direct run on goal there’s enough doubt.
VAR review: In last week’s VAR Review we discussed how impact is usually the key consideration for a holding offence. Chilowicz determined that by holding onto Vardy’s shirt, Fraser had clearly prevented Vardy from being able to tap the ball home — meaning it’s not only a penalty, but also red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
The problem is that moments earlier Southampton had their own claim for a penalty, which was checked and cleared. The VAR agreed with the referee that André Ayew‘s actions were of no consequence as Paul Onuachu wouldn’t have been able to challenge goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who caught the ball.
VAR review: Before this incident, the Premier League had seen 71 matches played without a single handball penalty. It gave the impression that handball would have to be very blatant to penalised, even more so for a VAR intervention. And it’s for that reason that this spot kick seems on the harsh side, as the ball hit Cash from such close proximity.
The VAR, Paul Tierney, has to consider if that arm position is justifiable for the player’s movement. What goes against Cash is his arm being fully extended away from the body, creating a barrier as Jiménez’s header is aimed to find Emile Smith Rowe, and this is why it’s unlikely to be seen as a wrong intervention.
Possible penalty overturn: Sánchez challenge on Jones
What happened: Liverpool were awarded their second penalty of the game in first-half stoppage time. Curtis Jones broke through in the area and appeared to be clattered by goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, and referee John Brooks pointed to the spot. Michael Oliver on VAR duty checked the decision.
VAR decision: Penalty cancelled.
VAR review: At first it looked like a certain penalty, with Jones spinning over after Sánchez had collided with him. However, once the replay from the opposite end of the pitch showed that Sánchez had played the ball rather than the man, a VAR intervention was always likely.
Winning the ball doesn’t automatically mean a penalty can’t be awarded; if a player’s actions are deemed reckless in winning the ball it can still be a foul. Sánchez probably ran quite close to this, though the way Jones flipped over perhaps made it look a little worse.
VAR review: Within the melee the referee had missed a hand into the face by Kudus, twice. Either could be seen as violent conduct, but the second on Pape Matar Sarr, which saw the West Ham United forward thrust his hand forward into the face, was definitely a red card.
A player can get away with a hand to an opponent’s face if “the force used was negligible,” which is probably why the referee was shown the Sarr push rather than Van de Ven.
Possible penalty overturn: Foul by McNeil on Clarke
What happened: Ipswich Town were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Jack Clarke danced through the area and went down under a challenge from Dwight McNeil. Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot but the VAR, Graham Scott, sent him to the monitor to reverse his decision.
VAR decision: Penalty cancelled.
VAR review: In the last round before the international break. Everton boss Sean Dyche was furious when his side weren’t given a penalty when Dominic Calvert-Lewin kicked the leg of Newcastle United defender Dan Burn when in the act of shooting. After this incident, you can’t say the two outcomes weren’t consistent.
As noted in the VAR Review for the incident, had a penalty been awarded in the Everton-Newcastle game there was a strong chance of a VAR intervention to cancel the spot kick for a foul by Calvert-Lewin. And that’s exactly what happened here, play restarted with a free kick to Everton for a foul by Clarke.
As the Ipswich player tries to shoot, McNeil doesn’t make an attempt to place his foot into the running line and doesn’t cause a foul himself.
Possible penalty: Handball by Veltman
What happened: The game was in the seventh minute when Lewis Hall tried to break into the area, and went down under a challenge from Joël Veltman. The Brighton & Hove Albion player went to ground too, and as he did so appear to drag the ball back with his arm as Hall got back to his feet. Referee Peter Bankes didn’t feel there was a handball offence as Hall appealed.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: One of the exemptions from a handball offence covers a player using his arm to support his body, but that’s overridden if there’s a deliberate handball. So the VAR, Tony Harrington, has to be certain that Veltman has pulled the ball back to prevent it running to Hall, rather than just placing his arm down when falling.
The main camera angle looks damning, but the one behind the goal suggests Veltman’s arm landed on the ball, rather than a purposeful act to move it away from running into Hall’s path.
Some factual parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.
