Premier League set to introduce major change to VAR from 2024/25 season

Premier League is set to introduce a major change to the usage of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) as the technology continues to receive mixed reactions.

VAR was brought into football to help officials make critical decisions but things has not been working according to plan.

Some managers and players have been skeptical of the usage of VAR and how it affects the game. Premier League are now set to introduce plans for referees to announce why they have changed their decisions after VAR checks in time for the 2024/25 season.

Match-going experiences have been hindered in recent years by long VAR checks and a lack of clarity over why decisions have been altered.

These problems are only exacerbated at grounds such as Old Trafford and Anfield which do not feature big-screens.

Reports from ESPN revealed that the Premier League hope to pass legislation for referees to announce decisions to crowds ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Referees explaining decisions aloud was introduced at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as part of a 12-month trial introduced by football’s law-makers IFAB.

This initiative has since been introduced by several leagues across the world, including Major League Soccer.

The Premier League will also include semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) from next season.