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Premier League clubs have decided to continue using Video Assistant Referees (VAR) for the 2024-25 season following a vote at the annual general meeting in Harrogate on Thursday, June 6. The vote was prompted by a proposal from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, which led to the ballot.
Despite Wolverhampton’s push to eliminate VAR, all other 19 Premier League clubs voted in favor of retaining the technology, though they acknowledged the need for improvements. For VAR to be discontinued, 14 out of the 20 Premier League clubs would have needed to vote for its removal.
In a statement, Wolves expressed their disappointment with the outcome but appreciated the Premier League’s commitment to enhancing VAR. The Premier League highlighted the responsibility of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the clubs, and the league to improve the system’s reputation, identifying six key areas for making VAR more efficient.
Additionally, the Premier League confirmed in April that Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) will be implemented for the 2024 season. This technology, which was utilized during the Qatar World Cup, will assist officials by automatically determining offside positions without manual line drawing.
Since its introduction in the 2019/20 season following a successful trial at the Russia World Cup, VAR has faced continuous controversy in English football. Clubs have frequently criticized it for not effectively correcting clear and obvious errors. Frustrations peaked for Wolves during the 2023-2024 season, leading the club to seek the abolition of VAR after several decisions went against them.
Wolves stated, “There is no blame to be placed. We are all just looking for the best possible outcome for football, and all stakeholders have been working hard to try and make the introduction of additional technology a success.” They added, “Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game, and as a result, we should remove it from the 2024/25 season onwards.”
One notable incident that exacerbated the debate over VAR’s efficacy occurred in September last year when Liverpool’s Luiz Diaz scored a legitimate goal against Tottenham Hotspur that was incorrectly disallowed due to a communication error among VAR officials.
