In a historic move, the Premier League will be releasing VAR audio on television for the very first time. This exciting development will allow fans to hear discussions between the officials during games, thanks to a TV pilot program led by Howard Webb, who serves as the chief refereeing officer.
Webb has been in his role since December and has pledged to increase transparency and openness within the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the governing body responsible for refereeing in English football. As part of this initiative, Webb aims to acknowledge major errors made by officials during games, such as the missed offside on Brentford’s equalizer at Arsenal and the failure to award a penalty for Brighton at Tottenham Hotspur.
Currently, VAR audio is only allowed to be released by FIFA in the days following a game, but not during the match. However, Webb believes that allowing the audio to be broadcast live will provide greater clarity for everyone involved in the game, including fans, coaches, and players. In his previous role with Major League Soccer (MLS), Webb introduced “Inside Video Review,” which presented all contentious incidents in a short video format.
The Premier League Productions will air the pilot show on Monday, May 15, and Sky Sports in the UK will also showcase audio of key decisions from this season on the same day. Moving forward, Webb intends to make officials’ audio available more frequently next season to further enhance transparency.
This exciting new development is a testament to the Premier League’s commitment to transparency and will allow fans to gain an unprecedented insight into the decision-making process behind each game. With the help of technology, we can continue to enhance the beautiful game for everyone involved.
