In-stadium video assistant referee (VAR) will get a first-of-its-kind trial in English football during the Carabao Cup semi-final fixtures.
The trial will include both legs of matches featuring Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham, and Liverpool. The initiative is part of the Professional Game Match Officials Board's (PGMOL) commitment to transparency and aims to enhance understanding of key decisions made during the games.
The trial was first proposed during the most recent Premier League shareholders' meeting, but not all clubs approved the suggestion. The feature was successfully used during the 2023 Women's World Cup, and it is hoped that it can later be rolled out to the wider English league system.
In-stadium VAR announcements in Carabao Cup semis next week.
Been embraced by the A-League this season (see vid)
– Only when referee goes to monitor OR factual overturns
– No VAR audio
– No explanation if no VAR overturnREAD: https://t.co/34i2QfolwGpic.twitter.com/ONNYS97IMY
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) December 30, 2024
VAR trial of in-stadium announcements
According to a PGMOL statement, ‘Referees will announce the final decision following a visit to the VAR pitchside monitor or upon the conclusion of factual matters such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside offences where the attacker touches the ball.‘
Howard Webb, PGMOL chief, confirmed in April 2024 that the Premier League had begun to explore the idea of introducing the feature. Webb added, ‘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. So we're looking at that, we're keeping an open mind about whether that's something we could utilise in the Premier League.‘
One of Howard Webb's key goals when he took charge at the PGMOL in 2022 was to increase transparency, something stadium-going fans have often said is a major issue with VAR right now. For now, the trial is set to last just these four fixtures, though it is expected the results of it will then be used to trigger another Premier League vote on the subject later in 2025.
FGG says: Right idea, bad timing
While we understand this trial isn't some game-changing bit of technology like autonomous offsides. It feels like a strange call to implement a trial during the final stages of a major cup competition. Now, this could be because the Premier League clubs rejected it, and the Carabao Cup falls outside that purview, though, in this instance, does only feature Premier League sides. With VAR not in use in the lower leagues and also not in the FA Cup, perhaps this is the only chance the PGMOL has to trial such a feature.
For me, as a fan of one of the clubs in the match, it's hard to worry about two of the most important games thus far of your season being overshadowed by a trial to a system (VAR) which is already not liked by most fans to begin with.