Premier League set for three huge VAR changes after Liverpool farce made public
Liverpool had a goal ruled out in farcical circumstances against Spurs on Saturday with VAR officials wrongly believing the on-field decision was for the strike to stand
The Premier League is set to make three drastic changes to the VAR process after the PGMOL released the extraordinary audio that preceded Liverpool having a goal disallowed against Tottenham.
During the bizarre exchange, VAR official Darren England and assistant Dan Cook ordered referee Simon Hooper to uphold the on-field decision after Luis Diaz had seemingly fired the Reds into the lead. However, the pair were oblivious to the fact that the flag had gone up, and play had restarted by the time they realised their huge error.
Despite pleas from VAR Hub Ops executive Oli Kohout to pause the action and amend the mistake, by letter of the law it was too late to reverse the call. And the explosive fallout from the incident prompted the Premier League to vow changes in how the technology is implemented.
A Premier League spokesperson said: “Having reviewed all relevant footage of the disallowed Luis Diaz goal during the Tottenham Hotspur FC versus Liverpool FC match on Saturday, and PGMOL’s report into the incident, it is clear that there were not only human errors but systemic weaknesses in the VAR process. We accept PGMOL’s immediate recommendations to ensure that such failures are not repeated in the future.
“However, a wider review to seek consistently higher standards of VAR performance will be conducted by the Premier League and PGMOL, supported by other stakeholders, and where necessary further recommended actions will be brought forward and implemented.”
Among the changes, the Premier League have revealed that they will add a further layer of checks so, in future, the VAR will double check it with his assistant. Only then will the decision be relayed to the referee.
A new group of dedicated VAR specialists will also be formed, rather than ask referees to crossover between on and off-filed duties. And finally, top-flight chiefs have also pledged to “review” Premier League officials being allowed to referee games outside of UEFA and FIFA appointments.
The latter review follows news that England and Cook were granted permission to oversee a match in United Arab Emirates last Thursday, before flying back to the UK on Friday. It’s led to accusations that the pair were mentally fatigued whilst taking critical roles for a Premier League fixture.
The decision of the PGMOL to release the audio at Liverpool’s request is thus-far unprecedented. And it’s led to further pressure on Howard Webb to ensure that discussions between referees and VAR officials are broadcast live for greater transparency.
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