PGMOL chief Mike Riley has admitted that the VAR has committed four mistakes in the Premier League till date.
The new implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) came as a sweetener to the fans, but it has been quite the opposite in the early stages of the Premier League.
Still, in the experimentation process, the referees are aiming to cut down ‘clear and obvious errors’ in the English top-flight. It has been a roller coaster, with some right and wrong decisions by the assistant inside the video room.
When the referees fail to notice things, the video assistant must have the awareness to stop the play and intimate the repercussion.
PGMOL chief Mike Riley has revealed that it has happened on four occasions from four game weeks till now. These wrong calls include Fabian Schar’s equalizer against Watford, Leicester midfielder Youri Teilemans apparent stamp on Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson, Jefferson Lerma’s stamp on Manchester City’s David Silva, and a foul on Sebastian Haller by Norwich’s Tom Trybull.
While it might have not worked out on four occasions, the assistants have made six right decisions.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We are learning as we go along and we are constantly improving.
“Out of the four match rounds, there have been some really good examples where we have intervened.
“There have been six incidents where VAR has advised the referee and we have got a better decision as a result.
“There were four incidents where VAR didn’t intervene and had they done, we would have a better understanding of the role VAR plays in the game.
“[The mistakes] are all about the judgement of VAR and the process that we adopt.
“These are examples were VAR could have had a benefit and intervened to help the referee on the day.”
When pressed on why those mistakes were made, Riley added: “A combination of factors. That is the fascinating thing as this project evolves, we are constantly learning.
“We are trying not to disrupt the flow of the game but on these occasions, the judgement should have been that it was a clear and obvious error.
“One of the really positive things about the first four match rounds has been the quality of on-field performances.
“All the referees have incorporated the things we need to do with VAR into their refereeing while still focusing on making real-time decisions.”
