New Delhi: Premier League is set to become the first football competition that will feature a revamped Video Assistant Referee system that will deploy the use of semi-automatic offside technology. It will supposedly be one of the best officiating frameworks in the world.
Premier League have assured fans that the decisions will be quicker, backing a referee’s first-hand judgement and fewer interventions when VAR enters the sixth season of featuring in the big leagues. The competition has even launched a new X (formerly known as Twitter) to explain VAR decisions during matches in the 2024-25 season.
Welcome to the Premier League Match Centre X account. This page will provide live updates from Stockley Park including information directly from the VAR Hub. We will issue near-live updates on operational matters from all matches – including clarification on refereeing and VAR.
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 13, 2024
The system will be AI-powered and designed by technology company Genius Sports. They will install 28 computer vision cameras at every ground to host Premier League games. The company has claimed that it can save valuable minutes during the games based on tests held during a few Premier League and Champions League games last season. Delivering the decisions quicker than the existing system has let Genius claim the average time will be reduced by 30 seconds.
This is great news for fans of the top English football league, who have witnessed huge delays for VAR inquiries, particularly last season. One example of this was West Ham’s match against Aston Villa this March when match officials took nearly six minutes to disallow West Ham’s goals. On average, VAR referrals have taken 64 seconds. Premier League’s chief football officer Tomy Scholes himself admitted that the delays were ruining the match experience back in February. All clubs had voted for bringing a new technology in April though Wolves even suggested discontinuing VAR entirely in June, though no one supported.
Change in VAR mechanism
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Referee Andy Madley checks the screen after VAR reviewed a red card decision during the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane on May 19, 2024 in Sheffield, England.(Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)
SAOT will work through cameras capturing 10,000 surface data points for each player and the ball. This allows Genius to create an “offside wall” for VAR instantly and match official using 3D player graphics which will be available for TV viewers. Comprehensive player graphics will also be shown in stadiums, improving the match-day experience for fans. Premier League has said that the data will eventually advance the officiating system and make precise decisions in every offside decision.
As this process of deploying cameras and installing other technologies across all Permier League stadiums is quite complicated, it is believed that the new system will not be used until the international break next month. This means Hawk-eye will operate their goalline technology for another season until its contract expires next summer.
Ifab, football’s lawmakers, have rejected broadcasting in-game discussions of match officials as either audio or video, stating that they are disruptive during games. However, they will continue trials of referees announcing decisions to the crowd. Scholes said that they are planning to increase the number of replays on the big screen and make ample use of social media to improve fan’s experience. Trials that are ongoing, like in-game announcements, have yet to make an appearance to keep things easy and less burdening for the referees.
The VAR was introduced to correct the obvious errors, but that was a subjective evaluation. They have a six point plan that will help the functioning better. This includes, a clarity on when VAR will interfere, reducing delay, improve watching experience, keep the system transparent, improve training of VAR and maintain consistency, and educate and communicate about how VAR functions. There are also plans to introduce a safety net that is similar to cricket’s umpire call.
Statistically speaking VAR has increased correct decision percentage from 82% to 96%. Still it is far from perfect which everyone should keep in mind. Last season alone there 31 incorrect use of the referral with quite a few occasion when VAR didn’t intervene an incorrect on-field decision. The SAOT will ensure mistakes are less but cannot avoid miscommunication between officials like last October when a Liverpool goal against Tottenham was wrongly ruled as offside. SAOT is still seen as a strong mechanism having already been used in World Cup 2022 and UEFA Champions League in 2022-23. As Premier League starts a new season from tomorrow, fans will hope better referee decisions.
As a new season of Premier League approaches, the top English football tier is making changes in the existing Video Assistant Referee system. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
