The Premier League has called on key managers and players to stop publicly criticising VAR ahead of Friday’s big kick-off.
Ahead of the new season in the top division, it can be revealed that referees’ chief Howard Webb has presented a six-point plan to improve the controversial technology that has caused so much division since its introduction in 2019.
The concept has been heavily criticised in the five years of the Premier League’s existence, but there is hope that the changes will solve the problems.
And Premier League bosses have warned the country’s top football figures during their annual summer visits to all 20 clubs that the constant whining about VAR is having a damaging effect.
The Premier League agrees that it is entirely the responsibility of managers and players to disagree with the subjective nature of decisions when they do not go in their favour, while also recognising that officials deserve criticism when they make mistakes.
The Premier League has called on key managers and players to stop publicly criticising VAR
Referee chief Howard Webb has unveiled a six-point plan to improve the controversial technology
VAR has been the target of heavy criticism since its introduction in the Premier League in 2019
Players have been furious with referees in the past when decisions are made by VAR
But after spending time over the summer highlighting VAR procedures to clubs to ensure they had greater understanding of them, top officials have been actively reminding staff and players that public condemnation of the technology is damaging to the sport.
It is believed the Premier League has also spoken to broadcasters to deliver a similar message ahead of their programmes.
The question remains, of course, whether the biggest names in English football can control themselves when decisions do not go in their favour.
However, Webb hopes a new six-point plan to fix VAR will make the process run more smoothly ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The six points are: clarifying the threshold for VAR interventions, reducing match delays, improving the supporter experience, strengthening VAR training, ensuring better transparency and communication of decisions and an ongoing education plan.
There is hope that the changes made to video review technology will help solve problems
Mikel Arteta previously criticised VAR as an ‘absolute disgrace’ after playing against Newcastle last year
This season, there will be a particular focus on what the Premier League calls the ‘Referees Call’, with the emphasis on trusting on-field decisions unless there is ‘direct evidence’ that a decision is a clear and obvious error.
With that in mind, when a referee is told to go to their monitor during a VAR call, they will always see full speed footage. The only time they will see slowed down video is when the point of contact needs to be established.
Meanwhile, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters refused to comment on whether he believes his current position would be untenable if Manchester City win their hearing into 115 alleged charges of financial misconduct.
The verdict of the hearing, which begins next month, is not expected to be known until spring 2025.
Masters said this week that it is “time to resolve the charges the Premier League has brought against the current champions”.
In a wide-ranging interview with the national press on Wednesday, Masters would not say whether he would be forced to leave his post if City were successful in dropping the charges.
“You’re asking me to speculate on the outcome, I’m not going to do that. The second part of the question implies that I have an answer to the first,” Masters said.
Asked ahead of the hearing about the relationship between the Premier League and City and whether he had thought through the implications of what could be one of the most momentous decisions in the history of English football, Masters said: ‘We actually have a pretty good working relationship.
‘Of course we think about what could happen and we think about it a lot, but I don’t want to go any further than that.’
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has refused to comment on his future position if Man City win their hearing into 115 alleged charges of financial misconduct
Masters has stated that he has a ‘reasonably good working relationship’ with Man City
The ongoing controversy at City is one of many off-field issues that could affect football this season.
Chelsea are under investigation for breaching financial regulations, Leicester are struggling with ongoing profit and sustainability issues and Everton are struggling with ongoing financial problems.
‘Well, we always want football to have the say and we obviously don’t want to see a star on the rankings or have long-running disputes over regulations.
“We want this to be temporary, not permanent. We need to address these challenges and solve them and have a clearer picture at the end of the season.”