The Premier League has acknowledged 13 VAR errors in the first 23 match rounds of the current season, marking a reduction from the 20 mistakes made during the same period last season.

These errors include four incorrect VAR interventions and nine missed interventions, as identified by the Key Match Incidents panel.

In response, the league has rolled out a six-point plan aimed at improving the accuracy, speed, and transparency of VAR decisions, which includes the potential introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) before the season ends.

Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes expressed optimism about the plan’s progress, stating, “The progress made over the last four to six weeks has been significant. We believe we are adopting the best and most accurate system.”

SAOT is designed to speed up offside decisions while ensuring accuracy, and the league hopes it will reduce offside decision times by 31 seconds.

In addition, the Premier League plans to implement referee announcements of VAR decisions in stadiums by next season to improve fan engagement.

Scholes noted, “Frankly, the current VAR communication with supporters is not good enough. We must improve it as much as we are authorized to do.”

Despite setbacks in the rollout of SAOT, the Premier League is determined to reduce the time taken for VAR checks. This season, the average VAR check takes 40 seconds, compared to last season’s 66 seconds.

The Premier League also listed four major VAR errors:

1. Outtara Handball (Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle, 25 August) – The decision to reverse a goal due to a handball was deemed incorrect by PGMOL chief Howard Webb.

2. De Ligt Foul on Ings (West Ham 2-1 Man Utd, 27 October) – A penalty awarded to West Ham was deemed incorrect after review.

3. Noorgard Red Card (Brentford 0-0 Everton, 23 November) – A red card for Brentford’s Christian Noorgard was overturned on appeal.

4. Milenkovic Goal Disallowed (Nottingham Forest 3-2 Southampton, 19 January) – An independent panel found that the goal should have stood.

The Premier League is also focusing on improving training, decision-making, and transparency for both officials and fans.

These steps aim to refine VAR and ensure a fairer, more efficient process for all involved.