The first half of the Premier League season has seen a notable increase in VAR errors, with 13 mistakes recorded so far, according to data collected by BBC Sport from the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel. This represents a 30% rise from the 10 errors recorded at the same stage last season. However, it's worth noting that this is still a significant improvement on previous years, with 20 errors at this stage of the 2023-24 campaign and 23 in 2022-23.
Mistakes on the rise
The majority of these mistakes, 11 out of 13, were due to missed interventions, where the video assistant referee (VAR) failed to advise the referee to change a decision. This is up from seven at the same stage last season. On the other hand, incorrect interventions have decreased from three to two. The total number of overturns has also dropped by 17.54%, from 57 in 2024-25 to 47 this season.
The KMI Panel, which meets every week to review each decision, has also cataloged on-field mistakes that did not reach the clear and obvious threshold for VAR to intervene. These have increased from 12 to 15. The panel consists of five members: three former players and coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO). The KMI Panel was created by the Premier League clubs in 2022 to take performance stats out of the hands of the refereeing body.
How the KMI Panel works
The KMI Panel takes into account the laws of the game and how the Premier League expects its games to be refereed. It first looks at the decision of the on-field referee team, and then of the VAR. As the VAR is operating to a higher threshold - clear and obvious - there are times when the KMI Panel will say the referee was wrong but the VAR was correct not to intervene. The panel also considers second yellow cards which were missed, or incorrectly shown.
The list of errors will not be as extensive as supporters would expect, as the KMI Panel is not intended to look at each incident like any fan or manager would.
Examples of VAR errors
The increase in VAR errors has raised concerns about the consistency and accuracy of the technology. While the KMI Panel's findings provide valuable insights into the decision-making process, they also highlight the need for continued improvement and refinement of the VAR system. As the Premier League season continues, it will be interesting to see how the VAR technology evolves and whether it can reduce the number of errors and improve the overall quality of refereeing decisions.
Original: BBC Sport
Image: BBC Sport
Written by Npsports
