Referees may have to explain why they change their on-field decisions after visiting the pitch-side monitor from 2024-2025 English Premier League season.
This move becomes necessary in the Premier League due to the constant controversies about the decisions referees make especially when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervene in critical moments of a game.
In the last two seasons, some Premier League fans and even pundits have argued that the VAR-influenced decisions are ruining the beauty of the league. Hence, they have been calling for the end of the technology in the league.
However, the league body seems not to be thinking towards that direction but on how they can carry along the spectators at the stadium and viewers at home whenever the pitch-side monitor is used to make a critical decision during a game.
While speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, the Premier League chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, said the league is seriously considering mandating referees to explain to the followers of a game whenever they overturn their decision after visiting a pitch-side monitor.
This will not apply to other VAR calls during a game which doesn’t require the referee to use the pitch-side monitor.
Before this development will be official, the referee body will submit the policy to the Premier League for approval.
“One of the things you’ll have seen maybe in FIFA tournaments, like the Women’s World Cup, is announcements from the referee once they’ve been to the screen”, Web said.
“So we’re looking at that, we’re keeping an open mind about whether that’s something we could utilise in the Premier League.
“It would be really useful for the referee to be able to speak to all of the people in the stadium — [to explain] the rationale.”
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