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: Should Aston Villa have been reduced to 10 men against Liverpool? Why Southampton have every right to feel hard done by in their defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers. And how semi-automated offside technology has hit issues in LaLiga.
Possible DOGSO red: Bailey challenge on Salah
VAR review: Until a controversial incident in the 2006 Champions League final, it wasn’t expressly said that a player shouldn’t be sent off if they committed a DOGSO offence before a goal had been scored. Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann brought down Barcelona‘s Samuel Eto’o outside the area, but before Ludovic Giuly could roll the ball into an empty net referee Terje Hauge stopped play and produced the red card.
Hauge said after the game that he wished he had waited, given the goal and only booked Lehmann. While it’s true that Hauge should have delayed his whistle to allow Giuly to score what was a certain goal (Barcelona instead only got a free kick), until this point the law said Lehmann should still get a DOGSO red card.
VAR review: Selhurst Park is probably the worst ground in the Premier League for the VAR to make offside decisions, due to the positions of the cameras. It means the final image can look confusing, with Leicester City adamant an onside decision given against them was incorrect — an accusation which was rejected by the Premier League and the KMI Panel.
When Alex Iwobi played the ball to Smith Rowe, the Fulham player was shown to be just in front of Tyrick Mitchell. Though there was a gap between the two offside lines, the angle doesn’t make it look clear.
This is due to change when the Premier League moves to semiautomated offside technology (SAOT), which comes with an animation that moves in line with the players, but this has been delayed due to issues being found in continued live testing in matches.
The flaws of SAOT, and its reliability in correctly identifying body positions of individual players, became apparent in LaLiga on Sunday. Robert Lewandowski thought he had given Barcelona the lead at Real Sociedad in the 13th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out by the VAR using SAOT. However, the offside image suggests it was impossible that the striker’s boot could be in front of defender Nayef Aguerd. The VAR still went with the result of the technology, the goal was ruled out and Barcelona lost the game 1-0. (watch here)
“It was the wrong decision, clear,” Barça boss Hansi Flick said after the match. “I saw the picture. It’s clear, it’s clear, but we have to accept it.”
Verdict: Correct decision with the current technology, but it seems unlikely the Premier League is going to switch to SAOT until all the issues have been ironed out.
VAR review: Last week, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez escaped with a yellow card for after catching Chelsea‘s Cole Palmer on the knee, with the reasoning being that challenge lacked force. Kamada’s challenge provides the perfect example of a tackle which is both high and has the necessary intensity for a red card.
The Crystal Palace player isn’t stepping into the challenge, he comes running in with a lunging motion, making contact with Tete with studs on the upper shin.
Verdict: A certain red card and a good on-field decision.
Possible penalty: Kerkez challenge on Collins
What happened: Brentford were on the attack in the 56th minute when Keane Lewis-Potter delivered a cross into the area for Nathan Collins, who went down claiming for a penalty in a tussle with Milos Kerkez.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: A different kind of situation to Torres of Aston Villa, as this time both Collins and Kerkez were involved in mutual holding before the Brentford player went down easily.
When both players are engaging in holding there’s unlikely to be a review, unless the defender engages in a non-footballing action to throw the opponent down.
Verdict: Correct for no VAR intervention.
Possible penalty: Pinnock challenge on Evanilson
What happened: Evanilson wanted a penalty in the 65th minute when Evanilson went down after being played in by Lewis Cook. Referee Darren Bond allowed play to continue after the ball ran through to goalkeeper Mark Flekken. The VAR, Andy Madley, checked for a possible spot kick.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: Evanilson’s trailing boot touched the leg of Ethan Pinnock, which caused the AFC Bournemouth striker to clip his heels and go down.
This can absolutely be a penalty, and if it had been given on the field it wouldn’t have been overturned. Indeed, we often see spot kicks given for similar kinds of incidents which are supported by the VAR. David Luiz conceding a penalty for Arsenal and being sent off at Wolves in 2021 is probably the most famous example.
However, when the evidence of the contact is hard to identify, as was the case here, a VAR intervention shouldn’t be expected.
Verdict: No VAR intervention.
Possible penalty: Handball by Gvardiol
What happened: Brighton & Hove Albion were on the attack in the 35th minute when Danny Welbeck shot his shot blocked by Josko Gvardiol. However, it appeared to hit the Manchester City defender’s arm, so should it have been a penalty? (watch here)
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: There’s an exemption in the handball law which prevents a spot kick if the ball hits a player’s supporting arm. The only way there can be a spot kick in this situation is if the player deliberately moves his arm to stop the ball, but Gvardiol was simply sliding across the turf to attempt a block.
Verdict: No VAR intervention.
Some factual parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.
