VAR was brought into the Premier League after almost every major league in the world had already incorporated it and the reason being that was meant to be a near-perfect system.
The league had made it clear that they will not hurry into introducing the system and want to perform the necessary tests before bringing it to the big stage.
But all VAR has done is increase the confusion and chaos surrounding games.
There have numerous errors and poor decisions handed out by the new system and according to a survey, the introduction of the VAR has made matches less enjoyable.
As per a report by YouGov: “While the VAR chief scored the system a 7/10 recently, regular viewers only give it a 4/10.
“Seemingly every weekend football fans find themselves howling at refereeing decisions made as a result of VAR. Now the results of a new YouGov RealTime survey of 1,396 people who regularly watch Premier League games shows quite how maligned the system is.
“Fully six in ten say they think VAR works badly, compared to just 27% who think it has been working well. While VAR chief Neil Swarbrick gave the system’s performance to date a 7/10 in November, the average score among fans is just 4/10.
“As many as two-thirds of frequent viewers say that Premier League matches have become less enjoyable to watch since VAR was introduced. Only 13% say it has made it more enjoyable to tune in.”
The surveyors also asked how the VAR could be made better and here’s what they had in mind.
- To be able to see the video footage the referees are being shown at the same time as they are being shown it (81%);
- The on-field referee being encouraged to consult pitch-side VAR screens (80%);
- To be able to hear the conversation the referees and the video assistant referees are having regarding the decision (73%); and
- A time limit on how long it can take for decisions to be made using VAR (71%).
