Referee bosses' response to latest VAR statistics as Premier League stance emerges

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Referee bosses are heralding big improvements in VAR. Last season saw a major drop in VAR (Video Assistant Referee) errors with just 18 officially recorded which is down by 42 per cent on the previous year.

And it also coincides with more officials being trained up to work as VAR - and that also means you are unlikely to get “refereeing teams.” League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan claimed last week that Premier League bosses have been canvassing for regular teams of officials.

Bevan said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Premier League managers would like to see the VAR referee being someone who is refereeing with the man on the pitch every week, so there’s not a nervous relationship.

“That’s so they understand each other, they understand how they operate to a greater degree, and Howard Webb and PGMOL are working towards that.

“Recruitment is a big issue for them, and training and development. I think they will get there eventually, but it's about trying to make fewer errors, because VAR is here to stay.”

While Bevan said that publicly, there has not been an official approach to PGMOL chief Howard Webb to make that happen even if managers may hold that view.

It would also be difficult because, while there are well-established teams of referees, assistant referees and fourth officials on the pitch, it is hard to go one step further and incorporate VARs into a dedicated team.

Currently, 19 Premier League referees have had VAR training and another seven officials outside of the top flight are operating as VARs.

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The PGMOL boast that is part of the reason why their statistics - compiled by an independent key match incident panel - have improved.

Liverpool fans may not agree after the controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed "goal" at Manchester City on Sunday.

But those 18 mistakes which were acknowledged last season is down from 31 in 23/24, it was 35 in 22/23 and the delay is down to average of 39 seconds from 64 secs in 23/24.

The reduction is down to largely fewer missed VAR subjective interventions but the training and gaining practice is another factor. However, the reason why it is hard to keep teams together for every game is because referees are not allowed to take charge of games they have affinity to.

For example, Geordie Michael Oliver cannot take charge of Newcastle games - or those involving their North east rivals Sunderland .

It has been reported in Australia that Jarred Gillet, born in Queensland, is a Liverpool fan and therefore has not done their games or Everton .

That knock-on effect means some referees do have to change and rotate, meaning keeping them together is harder. But there is also a feeling at the PGMOL that standards are improving, there are less complaints and training more officials to VAR will also help.

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