Premier League clubs will be asked to vote on whether to scrap video assistant referees (VAR) for next season after a proposal tabled by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The proposal is due to be heard at a general meeting of shareholders on June 6.
Sky Sports News It appears the Premier League board is directly opposed to the proposal.
The Premier League recognizes Wolves’ right to make such a proposal, but believes abolishing VAR would lead to many more incorrect decisions.
Premier League statistics earlier this season showed correct decisions increased from 82 to 96 percent under VAR, as Tony Scholes, the Premier League’s director of football, said. Aerial sports in February: “VAR is and remains a very effective tool to support match officials on the pitch.”
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’10 points they took from us’ – Wolves’ Jose Sa baffled by VAR
However, Scholes admitted: “We do too many checks, we also take too long to do them. This is understandable to some extent, given the level of scrutiny these guys are under. This affects the flow of the game and we are extremely aware of this and the need to improve this speed while still maintaining accuracy. “
Meanwhile, Premier League officials believe the proposal would have a serious impact on its reputation as world football’s elite league and would result in no semi-automated offsides or in-stadium announcements to the crowd for which the elite puts pressure on.
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Wolves boss Gary O’Neil says there is a desire across the country to improve VAR
A Premier League spokesperson said: “The Premier League can confirm that it will facilitate a discussion on VAR with our clubs at next month’s annual general meeting.
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O’Neil said his side’s game against Fulham finally turned him against VAR after several decisions went wrong this season.
“Clubs have the right to present proposals at shareholder meetings and we recognize the concerns and issues surrounding the use of VAR.
“However, the League fully supports the use of VAR and remains committed, alongside PGMOL, to making continued improvements to the system for the benefit of the game and supporters.”
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The Monday Night Football panel discusses whether Fulham were right to be awarded their two penalties against Wolves.
Wolves have scrapped several controversial refereeing decisions this season and believe the decision review system “undermines the value of the Premier League brand”.
However, they will need 13 of the other 19 clubs to agree with them and are likely to canvass other clubs for support between now and next month’s meeting.
Wolves said in a statement: “The introduction of VAR in 2019/20 was a decision taken in good faith and in the best interests of football and the Premier League.
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O’Neil was left very frustrated after the “mind-boggling” VAR decisions against Wolves in their 3-2 defeat to Fulham.
“However, this has led to many unintended negative consequences which damage the relationship between fans and football and undermine the value of the Premier League brand.
“The decision to table the resolution was made after careful consideration and with the utmost respect for the Premier League, PGMOL and our competitors.
“There is no blame – we are all just looking for the best possible outcome for football – and all stakeholders have worked hard to try and make the introduction of additional technology a success.
“However, after five seasons of VAR in the Premier League, it is time to have a constructive and critical debate about its future.
“Our position is that the price we pay for a slight increase in accuracy is contradictory to the spirit of our game and, therefore, we should remove it from the 2024/25 season onwards.”
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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher leads the rule on controversial incidents during Wolves’ defeat at Fulham and determines whether O’Neil was right when he said he was losing faith in VAR.
Wolves have felt hit hard by a series of decisions throughout the season, with boss Gary O’Neil regularly receiving apologetic phone calls from Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb.
They believe particular areas of concern are the impact on goal celebrations, the length of VAR checks and the lack of communication in the stadium, a shift from its original focus of correcting clear and obvious errors and a erosion of the referee’s authority on the field due to their reliance on VAR.
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