According to the BBC, Premier League clubs have agreed to introduce Video Assistant Referees to matches taking place in the 2019/20 season.
Opinions vary greatly on the use of VAR but I personally feel that it will be a positive addition to the Premier League. I wasn't a supporter of it when it was first trialled in England. It was a very strange experience to see it in action at Anfield because it seemed to slow the pace of the game down. As referrals were made, there was an odd quietness around the ground as we all waited to find out whether a goal would stand or not. It was unusual to see the pause button pressed on goal celebrations and that was something I really wasn't too keen on.
However, watching it in use throughout the 2018 World Cup, I became much more open to the idea of VAR. I thought it was fantastic that so many fouls in the box led to penalties being awarded, and I believe that it will only serve to stop some of the mistakes we see on an almost weekly basis in the Premier League. In a recent example, a perfectly fine goal by Sadio Mane against Arsenal was incorrectly ruled offside. As the game ended 1-1, this kind of incorrect decision can have big consequences throughout the course of a season.
Oftentimes, people will claim that these issues balance themselves out over the season but there's no real evidence for that. Sure, most teams will suffer at the hands of some incorrect officiating at one time or another, but there's no guarantee that it will be balanced. I recall a frustrating period a few seasons ago when Manchester United were getting away with all sorts of things in consecutive games. We're talking about clear offside goals that unfairly granted them victories. This is the kind of thing that I am not keen on and I would prefer to see this eradicated as much as possible.
There are a couple of things I am still concerned about, however. The aforementioned time issues need to be addressed so as to not stifle the natural flow of games. Also, there needs to be a clear evaluation of the rules by all participants as many of these decisions are subjective. There is no use having VAR if the officiating team disagree on what the outcome of a decision should be. However, as long as these things are appropriately dealt with then I am happy to see VAR in the Premier League. Whether it remains or not will depend on how effective it really is.
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