The clubs in Premier League voted this Thursday (6) in favor of continuing to use video arbitration (VAR) next season, the English league announced in a statement.
Although the text does not say what each club voted during the Premier League’s annual meeting, the British network BBC detailed that 19 of the 20 teams voted in favor of maintaining the technology.
According to the BBC, only Wolverhampton, which had the initiative to propose the withdrawal of VAR, would have voted in favor of its abolition.
The ‘Wolves’ accuse VAR of having “devalued the Premier League brand” after a season of controversial decisions. VAR was introduced to the Premier League in 2019, with the aim of helping referees avoid clear errors, which have altered games in the past.
But throughout the recently concluded 2023-2024 season, VAR was at the center of controversy on several occasions, being criticized by coaches and fans.
Despite the result of the vote, the Premier League claims to be aware of the need for improvement.
“While VAR helps to make better decisions, it was agreed that improvements must be made for the benefit of the game and the fans,” the league said in the statement.
Semi-automatic offside detection technology will come into effect next season, with the hope of helping to reduce long waits to check whether or not a shot should be validated. Additionally, announcements will be made when a decision made on the field is changed following VAR intervention, to keep fans informed.
The Premier League also added that the “high threshold” for intervention will also be maintained.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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