Premier League clubs consider ditching VAR

Hibapress

Premier League clubs will vote on ditching video-assisted refereeing (VAR) from next season at their annual general meeting next month, following a request submitted by Wolverhampton.

Wolves have formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League which will trigger a vote when all 20 member clubs meet at a general meeting on June 6. The club noted that VAR had been introduced “in good faith”, but had led to “many unintended negative consequences which damage the relationship between supporters and football”.

VAR was introduced in 2019 to help on-field referees make key decisions during matches, but there have been a number of controversial incidents involving the technology this season. “The price we pay for a small increase in accuracy contradicts the spirit of our game,” read a statement released by the Wolves on Wednesday.

The Premier League said it “recognizes concerns” about VAR but “fully supports” the technology and will continue to work with the refereeing body to make improvements. Any rule changes must be approved by a two-thirds majority, or 14 of the 20 clubs. Premier League teams have already voted to introduce semi-automated offside detection technology for the 2024-25 season.