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’s wildest moments: Alisson’s two red cards in one game
– VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
JUMP TO: Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth | Brentford 2-2 Spurs | Wolves 0-1 Man United | Palace 0-3 Fulham | Brighton 2-4 Arsenal | West Ham 0-2 Brentford | Man United 3-0 Forest | Arsenal 3-1 West Ham
The return of Howard Webb
If Howard Webb could have mapped out the first 20 games of his tenure as the new head of Premier League referees, it probably wouldn’t have looked much different to this. After 3½ troubled years for VAR in the Premier League, the two rounds of matches played over Christmas went by relatively calmly.
But make no mistake, Webb has no magic wand and having held just one get-together with all Premier League referees (the one-to-one meetings will come early in the New Year) his mere presence isn’t going to fix all the ills.
Webb has spoken of his desire to improve the transparency of decision making and, while that may take some time to come to fruition, another of his aims was seen on the first day of fixtures after the World Cup break. Webb wants his referees to have the confidence to stick to their decisions at the pitchside monitor; referee Andy Madley duly obliged by correctly turning down a VAR review to disallow a Fulham goal. It comes on the back of six incorrect VAR interventions in the first part of the Premier League season, all of which involved a referee being sent to the monitor and changing their own decision.
Webb has given a series of instructions to try to improve standards in England — including asking the VARs to also back their own judgement to cut down on missed interventions, rather than relying too much on what the referee has seen. It’s early days, but a perceived lack of confidence and conviction — either on the pitch or in the VAR room — had been an issue in the Premier League.
Possible penalty: Smith shirt pull on Pulisic
What happened: Christian Pulisic broke into the area in the 12th minute and shot well wide, but was falling as he did so. The United States star turned to referee Simon Hooper appealing for a penalty for a pull by AFC Bournemouth defender Adam Smith.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: A lot of supporters would expect this to be given as a penalty. There was clear holding of the shirt by Smith, but that alone doesn’t constitute a foul. The question is whether it was prolonged or of a sufficient nature to prevent Pulisic from being able to take his shot?
The referee didn’t feel there wasn’t enough in it and the VAR, David Coote, decided there wasn’t a clear and obvious error. That Pulisic appeared to go to ground a couple of strides after the pull won’t have helped his case.
VAR review: After we saw a series of penalties awarded at the World Cup for this kind of grappling offence, Kane was bound to be asking the question.
This is a different kind of incident to Smith on Pulisic, with Coote the referee for this game the day before he was on VAR duty for Chelsea vs. Bournemouth.
The two players come together as the cross is played over and, at one stage, Mee has his arm around Kane. That Mee quickly releases without a prolonged hold will have been important for the VAR. There also appeared to be a degree of holding from both players, rather than it simply being a case of Mee blocking the attempted run from Kane.
VAR review: A simple call for the VAR, Darren England — and a classic disallowed goal of the VAR era. Rashford was very unlucky that the ball hit his arm after the initial save by goalkeeper Jose Sa, but it’s an automatic decision to disallow the goal.
It would be difficult for referee Robert Jones to pick up in real time, but should always be picked up by the VAR.
VAR review: This should never have made it to a pitchside VAR review.
There is a specific clause within handball guidance issued to referees that if a player deliberate plays the ball with this head, and it hits their own arm, it shouldn’t be handball even if the arm is away from the body. This is only overridden if the handball is a deliberate act, which is the reason Dean sent referee Andy Madley to the monitor.
