Source:REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the Premier League’s Video Assistant Referee system has shown significant improvement, with a substantial decrease in the error rate. Last season, the number of VAR errors recorded officially was just 18, a 42% reduction compared to the previous year. This improvement is closely related to more referees receiving VAR training. Richard Bevan, CEO of the League Managers Association, stated last week that Premier League officials are pushing for the formation of fixed referee teams. Bevan said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Premier League coaches want to see VAR officials working with the on-field referees every week, so there’s no tense relationship. They need to better understand each other’s ways of working, and Howard Webb and the PGMOL are working towards that.” Additionally, Bevan mentioned that recruitment, training, and development are major challenges for the PGMOL. He believes that while VAR is here to stay, reducing errors is key. Forming fixed VAR teams is difficult because, although there are fixed teams for referees, assistant referees, and fourth officials, integrating VAR into this structure isn’t easy. Currently, 19 Premier League referees have received VAR training, with an additional 7 referees from outside the top flight also serving as VAR officials. The PGMOL claims this is one reason for the improvement in their statistical data.