[Football] VAR, 6 years in - Keep it or bin it?

[GT49er]

The problem is that currently we have controversy where VAR gets things wrong and pundits/press/fans jump on pointing that out. The press and pundits love it as it gives them so much to talk about. But if we bin off VAR now every game will be filled with offside goals, & fouls/handballs in the build up to goals that the on field refs havent caught, and the press/pundits will just switch from commenting on how VAR got things wrong to saying 'well if we'd been using VAR that goal wouldnt have stood, as it was offside/a foul/handball'. And then that resentment at not having the technology involved will build as team by team loses games to goals that shouldnt have stood. Imagine if we'd lost 3-1 to Newcastle because that dive for penalty, and the foul outside the box had counted.... So basically now we've let VAR out of the box, we're f***ed either way!

Overall I think we now kind of have to keep it, but its use needs to be quicker, maybe limit what it can get involved in, but more importantly the refs themselves need to be better!

Well, yes, it was the pundits micro-analysing, using slow motion pictures from various angles over and over again in great detail that lead to the curse of VAR in the first place, so the pundits are as much to blame as anyone. And VAR still doesn't get everything right. Bin it. And been that 'Passage of play' or whatever nonsense for offsides!
If they must keep the bloody thing, separate the roles of VAR and referee - if you referee on the field that's what you do, and you're never the VAR, and vice versa. And put somebody in Stockley Park - maybe an ex-player - with the power to tell the VAR when they can or cannot intervene.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

As Pawson proved, it is essential to keep us competitive.
It successfully counteracts, the PGMOL leaning towards any club they consider to be bigger than us ( 70% of our opponents).
After the first few seasons' we were right at the top of teams that had benefitted from VAR over-ruling decisions.
And this season certainly feels like VAR has benefitted us more often.

It fucks up the fan experience, but no more so than many other aspects of the Premier League.

 

[Drebin]

Keep it, change the offside rule, and impose lengthy bans on players caught diving or acting like they’ve been shot after minimal contact.

 

[Washie]

I almost gave up with football without it. The Newcastle game showed referees are not good enough or too corrupt that we absolutely need it.

 

[Beanstalk]

I can't believe that anyone wouldn't be clamouring for VAR if it wasn't in place for the Newcastle game...

 

[jordanseagull]

I can't believe that anyone wouldn't be clamouring for VAR if it wasn't in place for the Newcastle game...

You better believe it! I wouldn’t be. Balanced against the loss of being able to fully celebrate a goal when the ref and lino indicate all is well which is what football is (was) for me, it’s not even close.

 

[Washie]

You better believe it! I wouldn’t be. Balanced against the loss of being able to fully celebrate a goal when the ref and lino indicate all is well which is what football is (was) for me, it’s not even close.

I still celebrate wildly. I don't care if its going to be chalked off after.

 

[A1X]

VAR is fine but just needs a few tweaks;
1. Play the audio in the stadium
2. Timebox all decisions to 60 seconds, otherwise go with the on field call as it's not "clear and obvious"

The issues that come up with it boil down to either terrible officials or badly written rules, and getting rid of VAR fixes neither of those issues.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

I just wish those that choose stand by their convictions. I’m sure it’s the same people chanting “f*** V-A-R!” one minute then chanting the cringey “V-A-R….V-A-R!” the next, when they want something looked at.

 

[A1X]

You better believe it! I wouldn’t be. Balanced against the loss of being able to fully celebrate a goal when the ref and lino indicate all is well which is what football is (was) for me, it’s not even close.

Why are you denying yourself the joy of the moment? Hardly any goals get chalked off by VAR so just celebrate it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You better believe it! I wouldn’t be. Balanced against the loss of being able to fully celebrate a goal when the ref and lino indicate all is well which is what football is (was) for me, it’s not even close.

I still celebrate. To me it’s no different from before i.e. celebrate, unless it’s clearly offside, and then worry about the offside. The only difference now is it’s VAR as opposed to a linesman. This certainly seems to be the case for players.

 

[SouthSaxon]

The Premier League should just go online to some Amazon of referee company's and do a deal with a different company, that have a different set of officials waiting in the wings somewhere who are just much better than the ones we have, right?

Exactly. Surely we can get some drop-shipped mass-produced Chinese referees who could do the job at a fraction of the price?

 

[Monkey Man]

I was originally all for VAR I thought it would remove the controversy surrounding refereeing decisions. It hasn't done that at all – now we argue and agonise about VAR as well as the on-field refereeing. It slows things down, it spoils the fan experience, and we see some brilliant goals disallowed because of infringements that the human eye wouldn't spot in real time. I can't see how that makes the sport more exciting as a spectacle.

I'd be in favour of a season-long pause while VAR is properly reviewed and then maybe improvements would be introduced. And fans/managers/pundits can judge whether the game had been better off without it over the course of that season.

I've watched a few non-league games recently and it's been great seeing goals go in, for and against, with no chance of the decision being challenged. I much prefer it.

 

[Titanic]

Why are you denying yourself the joy of the moment? Hardly any goals get chalked off by VAR so just celebrate it.

As of May 14, 2025, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interventions have led to 45 goals being disallowed in the 2024–25 Premier League season. These disallowed goals encompass various infractions, including offside (32 instances), handball (7), fouls (4), and the ball going out of play prior to the goal (3) .

VAR has also awarded 25 penalties this season, with 21 successfully converted. Additionally, 11 red cards have been issued following VAR reviews, with one of these decisions subsequently overturned .

 

[luge]

Keep it. Some things the referee video team get wrong but it saves so many howlers.

 

[Arthur]

I almost gave up with football without it. The Newcastle game showed referees are not good enough or too corrupt that we absolutely need it.

How many people have given up football because of it? I know of at least 3. I will make number 4 when I can get rid of my season ticket.

Worst thing to ever happen to football (unless Palace win the FA cup on Saturday).

 

[BBassic]

Keep it but I want it used more for punishing shithousery like feigned injuries (see: Anthony Gordon this weekend past) and diving etc.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

I know some people are totally opposed to re-referreeing of games, but I would like VAR to used more than it is.It is frustrating that it is only goals, penalties and offsides that get checked when so many other events are wrong.

Given that through incompetence or more often because things happen too quickly and the ref is unsighted or not sure if they are making the correct decision. I think a quick question to VAR could resolve a lot of disputed calls.

For example, a word in the ear from the VAR to say "actually Craig, JPVH didn't commit a foul on the edge of the box" saves us drawing with Newcastle.
Or the times a corner is given instead of a goal kick (and vice versa); when all the viewers at home can see it's the wrong decision.
VAR can intervene quickly to say wrong decision before the ball gets back into play.
The VAR should also check for fouls before yellow cards are given.

In rugby, the ref can refer most things up to the TMO to check while still being in control of the game.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

If you have a better alternative, absolutely.

Get some foreign referees in.

What?

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

The Championship games were just GLORIOUS without VAR ruining it. Can you imagine that last minute winner last night being checked because they wanted to see if it came off his arm or something?

I think you have to start with a mentality shift. If you accept that football DOESN'T matter and is literally a form of entertainment then you can immediately relax about how sometimes things go wrong. It's REALLY annoying at the time, but whatever. We go again. I'll wake up the next morning, whether we had a last minute winner rightly or wrongly ruled out. If a players dived against us then it will be highlighted. Yeah they may score a penalty but again, it is basically just glorified all year panto. Football is, ultimately, REALLY silly.

Once you accept that stance then VAR is redundant.

1 - They are getting it wrong WITH VAR, so the argument for it is immediately redundant. Gone. It's not fixed all things.
2 - As said before, football is just entertainment. It's a game, traditionally, of few goals. A goal should be the moment of ULTIMATE fun, joy and entertainment. That's what we've paid our money for. Removing that moment of sheer elation by checking for goals is, frankly, criminal. A ball going into the net is now an Application For Scoring. We have submitted our work to the panel. We just now need to make sure they approve the goal so we can celebrate. When a goal goes in I probably 60% celebrate. What I'm actually doing is thinking "I think that was good....was it good? I mean, Welbeck did look like he could have been leaning past the last man.....oh god, he could have been off....hmmmm....I'll half cheer to not feel really silly when they find something wrong with it". Then we wait....and wait.....and wait.
3 - It's naff.