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VAR: Premier League bosses regret lack of technology in top flight

Last updated on .From the section Premier Leaguecomments173

Pellegrino unhappy with 'unjust' Watford equaliser

Video assistant referees (VAR) were used in English football for the first time this week, but their absence from the Premier League was felt by two managers on Saturday.

The technology made its debut in English football, albeit on a trial basis, as Brighton beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Monday, and was used again in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Chelsea and Arsenal, but referees in the Premier League do not have access to it.

And of the six 15:00 GMT kick-offs in the Premier League on Saturday, two contained controversial incidents affecting relegation-threatened sides.

Swansea felt they should have been awarded a first-half penalty in their 1-1 draw at Newcastle, while Southampton believe they were denied a win at Watford as Abdoulaye Doucoure used his hand to net a 90th-minute equaliser in their 2-2 draw.

At St James' Park, with the game goalless, the home side's Mohamed Diame appeared to handle the ball after Swansea's Mike van der Hoorn flicked it towards goal.

"My assistant says it's a very clear penalty and a red card also, so it's another decision that creates something important but what can we do? Nothing, only talk about this," said Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal.

Swansea need one or two 'class' players - Carvalhal

"This is one of the situations VAR will in the future say 'clear penalty' - it will be clear."

Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard said: "It's another advert for VAR. This is a penalty - it's very clear. It's not accidental, because he moves his elbow towards the ball. VAR, hurry up!"

The draw - and a win for West Brom - left Swansea still at the foot of the Premier League table, four points behind 17th-placed Bournemouth.

At Vicarage Road, Doucoure used his hand to score Watford's dramatic late equaliser - an incident that BBC Final Score pundit Kevin Kilbane called "an absolute disgrace".

"I think Doucoure has been one of the best players in the Premier League this year - but that is clear handball," said Kilbane. "He's got his hand up by his head - it's as clear a handball as you're ever likely to see. Southampton desperately needed this win, and the officials have robbed them - it's really poor."

Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure scores
Southampton felt Abdoulaye Doucoure's 90th-minute equaliser should have been ruled out

It denied Southampton a first win in 10 league games as Watford erased a 2-0 half-time deficit, leaving the Saints 16th - ahead of Bournemouth on goal difference before the Cherries face Arsenal on Sunday.

"I never see this type of mistake in the Premier League before," said Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino. "To live this injustice is really hard. I think we have to try [VAR] and analyse if it's possible to help the sport to make better decisions, even for the referee."

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright said on Match of the Day:"I can't understand where the assistant referee is, it was a blatant handball. VAR will clear it up in an instant and that is what we need it for. Southampton needed a win, but because of a poor decision they don't get it."

Watford manager Marco Silva did not want to discuss the goal, although Hornets striker Troy Deeney conceded the home side might have had "the luck of the draw" after he provided the assist for Doucoure.

"They'll feel like it's a loss," he said. "[If] VAR comes in we probably wouldn't get that but today we got it."

How does VAR work?

When will VAR be used?

Where a VAR review is used, it will normally be triggered during stoppages in play and limited to four types of match-changing incidents:

  • Goals
  • Penalties
  • Straight red cards
  • Mistaken identity

When is VAR not used?

  • Second yellow cards
  • Referees cannot say "I'm not sure, I'll look at a replay" - they have to make a decision and if it's a clear and obvious error, they'll be told by the VAR.
VAR was in use in the League Cup
VAR was in use in the League Cup and the FA Cup this week, but not in the Premier League

The system will again be made available for next week's FA Cup replays between Chelsea and Norwich, and Leicester City and Fleetwood Town.

VAR can only be used at Premier League stadiums where there is a direct link back to the Premier League studios west of London - where the official operating the system has access to between 12 and 15 camera angles, including four cameras in each goal.

It will be used in the return leg of Chelsea's League Cup tie with Arsenal and implemented in every round of the FA Cup and some further replays, based on broadcaster TV picks and whether the host for each tie is in the Premier League.

Referees boss Mike Riley has already confirmed changes to VAR will take place for those games, particularly surrounding letting spectators in the stadium know whether the system is being used.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson was satisfied with how officials handled Glenn Murray's late winner as Brighton progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup in what was the first competitive game in England to have the technology available.

In the second trial match, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte also backed the system after referee Martin Atkinson consulted the VAR on two Chelsea penalty claims.

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173 comments

  • Comment posted by User0463985174, at 21:06 13 Jan 2018

    Another result affected by a player cheating and the officials missing it.

  • Comment posted by Geoffrey Boy Cat, at 21:44 13 Jan 2018

    The hand ball was so obvious and non contentious that the only way it wasn’t given was that the ref didn’t see it. If he had, its disallowed. This is exactly the sort of factual mistake VAR should prevent. Is there ANY reason it’s not already in use???

  • Comment posted by Zetfovleh, at 21:49 13 Jan 2018

    It's a shame the ref gets the lions share of the blame. He obviously made a mistake and missed the handball. No such excuse for Doucoure who is a dirty cheat.

  • Comment posted by conradk, at 21:22 13 Jan 2018

    Referees have an impossible job in the current climate. If properly used, VAR can only improve things and prevent miscarriages of justice when it comes to goals, penalty claims and dangerous and unsportsmanlike behaviour. If it’s applied fairly then most of the problems will disappear within a season or two.

  • Comment posted by He said what, at 21:26 13 Jan 2018

    Should have been done years ago. Sports with lots less money in them have used it successfully for years - but the arrogance of the luddites in charge of the game can’t see what your average fan has known for years and despise progress.

    As for Doucoure he is just a terrible human being.

  • Comment posted by bean43, at 21:33 13 Jan 2018

    Deception of match official, so surely 2 game ban?

  • Comment posted by D1679400558106, at 21:35 13 Jan 2018

    Ban the player!

    No penalty for deception???

    What a circus.

  • Comment posted by User0325579446, at 23:36 13 Jan 2018

    just like diving to win a pen it's cheating

    Fine him, ban him

  • Comment posted by Lance Mitchell, at 23:40 13 Jan 2018

    Forget mistakes by officials or VAR, the truth is that it is that there is a lack of sportsmanship. In cricket, if a batsman knows he's chipped the ball to into the hands of first slip, he walks. In hockey, if the strike knows that the ball hit his foot on the way into the goal, he holds his hand up and declares his fault to the umpire. In other sports, sportsmanship prevails. Doucoure cheated!

  • Comment posted by golfhacker56, at 22:40 13 Jan 2018

    Standard of referees this season has been awful, I go to the games and can’t wait for technology to be used to stop these terrible decisions affecting the results.
    Hope Doucoure is charged as no different from diving, he knowingly cheated so if subsequently banned others may think twice

  • Comment posted by Steven Dee, at 10:13 14 Jan 2018

    Once again officials get slated by pundits. When we should be focusing on the player that deliberately chose to cheat. Why can’t players just play within the laws of the game. Cheating is cheating. Retrospectively ban him like diving, I don’t see a difference

  • Comment posted by Anyone, at 00:00 14 Jan 2018

    33 - I agree: Doucoure cheated. Alas the man will not be ashamed as he earned his team a point.
    If the FA can retrospectively punish a player for diving (i.e. cheating) why can't they do the same in this case? 3 game ban.
    Or, he can play but has to have his hands tied behind his back for three games.

  • Comment posted by spaniel2, at 07:02 14 Jan 2018

    Pity;if footballers weren't cheats,nor their managers we wouldn't need this.
    What happened to integrity and honesty?

  • Comment posted by Jeff, at 22:35 13 Jan 2018

    Maybe time to make players responsible any ebifence of cheating automatic 5 match ban at least.

  • Comment posted by a funny old game, at 01:18 14 Jan 2018

    The argument about holding play up does not hold water.For all the stat lovers,check how many minutes are actually played in a game,over the last two weeks fixtures,the highest was 61 minutes and the Burnley game lowest with 47 minutes! I wonder how many minutes was lost with arguing decisions or players rolling about with a broken leg only to find out it was a broken finger nail.

  • Comment posted by Roger V T, at 10:56 14 Jan 2018

    The Watford equaliser was blatant CHEATING and should be reviewed by the special panel in the same way as a bad tackle, bad behaviour matter. Obviously the result cannot be changed.

  • Comment posted by PaBu, at 23:47 13 Jan 2018

    Some right prattttts on here. It's not whinging to see your team robbed of 2 points by some cheating skumbagg, and to say the cheats were the better team so deserved something is childish nonsense. I believe legit goals scored are what count. Southampton robbed by Maradona-esk handball & that smug cheat Wilson admitting he touched the ball against west ham a couple of weeks back.
    VAR is needed

  • Comment posted by User0126244157, at 07:50 14 Jan 2018

    Until this is available at all games the FA need to reverse results affected by cheating or mistakes.

    If blatant cheating then a points deduction to the offenders too!

  • Comment posted by David Windsor, at 00:50 14 Jan 2018

    Don't know how blatant it was but it was clear, and the referee/assistants should have seen it and acted. Yet again a referee's mistake changes the result of the game. Will he be disciplined?

    The player would know that he handled, whether he meant to or not. Why didn't he go to the ref and admit it? Can he now be punished for dishonesty? Should Watford have points deducted for cheating.

  • Comment posted by sir qninell, at 08:46 14 Jan 2018

    If he is Fined/ Banned retrospectively then the FA are admitting that the goal should not have stood.
    If so, then should the FA consider the goal in context of this game, and hence remove it.