Premier League clubs vote to continue using VAR next season
Referee Michael Salisbury, center right, sends Chelsea’s Reece James, center left, off after checking the pitch side VAR monitor during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and FC Chelsea in Brighton and Hove, England, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Premier League clubs voted on Thursday to continue using VAR next season.
At the league’s annual general meeting, the 20 teams decided against scrapping video assistant referees for key onfield decisions, despite a series of controversies last season.
Clubs, however, voted to make improvements “for the benefit of the game and supporters.”
The league said it wants to reduce delays to games while decisions are being made, with the introduction of semi-automated offside technology key to that.
“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking,” it said in a statement.
The league also said it wanted to maintain a high threshold for VAR intervention and “more robust VAR training to improve consistency, including an emphasis on speed of process while preserving accuracy.”
In-stadium announcements will be introduced to improve fan experience, as well as big screen replays, where possible.
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