The Premier League hopes to introduce semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) before the end of this season, and it wants to see referees explaining VAR decisions to the crowd inside stadiums for top-flight matches by the start of next season.
It comes as the Premier League reveals a six-point plan to improve VAR, as it strives to make the system more accurate, faster and more transparent for fans.
However, after delays in testing the technology for SAOT, the Premier League says it will wait until next season if it is not entirely convinced it is reliable, or if it gets too close to the end of this season.
After 23 match rounds, the Premier League claims 100 per cent of offside decisions in the top flight have been correct. However, it wants to introduce SAOT as soon as possible to speed up the process – without reducing that accuracy.
Tony Scholes, the Premier League’s chief football officer, has admitted he was worried about the reliability of the technology for semi-automated offsides for a long time – up until a breakthrough just before Christmas.
“I have to confess, given the difficulties that we had over the first few months of the season [with SAOT testing] I had severe doubts about this. But the progress made over the last four to six weeks has been significant. So, we believe we’re going to be adopting the best system and the most accurate system – without the need for the chip in the ball.
“The EFL has introduced it into the Carabao Cup this year. We will monitor it. But the operation of semi-automated offside technology does not change the integrity of the offside law. What it does is make the process more efficient. Clearly, if we’re not confident until the last two or three match rounds, I think you then arrive at a pragmatic place where you just say, it wouldn’t make sense to introduce it now. But if we’re able to introduce it in advance of that, then it’s something that we’re actively considering.”
New statistics released by the Premier League show that VAR has intervened more times up to this point this season (23 match rounds) compared with last season (70 times, compared to 61) but that is still less than one VAR intervention every three matches. Also, the statistics show there have been fewer VAR errors (13 so far, compared with 20 by this stage last season).
According to the Key Match Incident Panel, which analyses all important refereeing decisions in every Premier League match, 66 of the 70 interventions have been correct, although nine times the panel felt VAR should have intervened when it did not. (Skynews)