VAR was introduced to the Premier League to eliminate clear and obvious errors. The data suggests it is creating new problems instead.
The numbers (Source: Premier League, PGMOL reports):
- VAR overturns approximately 80-90 decisions per season
- Average review time: 70-90 seconds per check. Some reviews exceed 3 minutes.
- Fan satisfaction with VAR has declined in every annual survey since introduction. Source: Premier League fan survey data.
What VAR gets right:
- Offside decisions are more accurate. The semi-automated system with multiple camera angles catches millimeter calls that linesmen cannot.
- Clear handball decisions are correctly overturned.
What VAR gets wrong:
- Subjective calls (fouls in the box, intensity of contact) are NOT consistently applied. Different VAR officials make different calls on identical incidents.
- The "clear and obvious error" threshold is applied inconsistently. Some soft interventions override the referee for marginal calls.
- Goal celebrations are killed. The 30-90 second delay between scoring and confirmation removes the most emotional moment in football.
The offside line problem:
- Millimeter offside decisions where a player's toe is beyond the last defender were never meant to be penalized. The law was designed to prevent cherry-picking, not to measure body parts in 3D space.
Proposed solutions:
- Thicker offside lines (allowing a margin of error like in the Netherlands)
- Time limits on reviews (30 seconds max)
- Transparency (show the VAR conversation and review to fans in the stadium)
- Challenge system like tennis (each team gets 2 challenges per half)
Sources:
- Premier League — VAR data
- PGMOL — referee performance reports
- IFAB — Laws of the Game
- The Athletic — fan survey analysis
Whats your experience been?
Offside is the one area where VAR is objectively correct. The line is the line. If you are offside by a millimeter, you are offside. The rule is binary.