Premier League Admits VAR Stadium Experience Falls Short of Expectations

Tony Scholes, Premier League's chief football officer, criticized the in-stadium supporter experience of VAR (Video Assistant Referees), describing it as "nowhere near good enough" and expressed concerns over lengthy review times. Scholes highlighted two areas that need improvement: review duration and direct stadium experiences of supporters. He further stated that while VAR significantly enhanced decision-making accuracy, its implementation still had persistent problems since its introduction in the 2019-20 campaign.

The Premier League's survey suggested a majority of supporters were in favor of VAR, yet Scholes admitted the margin was not as extensive as he would prefer. He also mentioned the high level of scrutiny faced by the referee teams from stakeholders.

Scholes disclosed the ongoing efforts to expedite review and check times by leveraging training and development. The league also plans to introduce semi-automated offsides, subject to future decisions by participating clubs after a test phase. He also hopes to bring a more open, transparent, and informative VAR process to support all stakeholders. A proposed development permits the referee to announce his decision post-VAR review to the audience from the pitchside.