Social media explanations - what is new with VAR this season?

The 2023-24 Premier League play ended pinch Wolves triggering a ballot to scrap nan usage of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) aft a play of acrimony astir nan modular of refereeing and effect of exertion connected football.

Wolves lost nan vote 19-1 but nan Premier League promised to amended VAR.

As VAR enters its sixth play successful nan apical flight, nan Premier League says fans tin expect quicker decisions, less interventions and "near-live" explanations of VAR calls connected societal media level X.

BBC Sport outlines nan cardinal talking points and changes, pursuing briefings pinch nan Premier League and referees' main Howard Webb this week.

There were respective flashpoints past season:

The Premier League said its ain figures showed nan number of correct decisions successful matches was astatine 96%, compared to 82% earlier VAR was introduced.

It claimed location were only 5 incorrect VAR interventions past season, compared to 105 correct calls - an betterment connected 2022-23, pinch 11 incorrect VAR decisions to 105 which were right.

"There were really little errors past twelvemonth than before. A mini number of incidents unrecorded ample successful nan memory," Webb added.

He besides said that lucifer officials, including VAR, "only really return distant one in each 25 goals".

The league's main shot serviceman Scholes said nan strategy will "never beryllium perfect" but claimed that "four retired of 5 want to support VAR, based connected our independent study".

He added: "That says 1 successful 5 would get free of it and that’s a large minority. And astir of nan 4 retired of 5 opportunity we request to amended it."

Scholes accepts that VAR "comes pinch a cost", but explained: "The costs is partially inevitable – location are delays to nan game, nan protagonist acquisition is poor. We cognize that and we’re not going to get free of that, it’s an inevitable portion of VAR. But our occupation is to minimise it.

"Our occupation is to make judge nan delays are reduced to nan constituent of reasonableness and nan protagonist acquisition is improved arsenic well."

So really will those 2 points beryllium addressed?

This Twitter station cannot beryllium displayed successful your browser. Please alteration Javascript aliases effort a different browser.View original contented connected Twitter

The BBC is not responsible for nan contented of outer sites.

It was besides announced this week that nan Premier League Match Centre, external relationship connected societal media level X will station "near-live" explanations of VAR decisions.

The sport's lawmakers Ifab person ruled out broadcasting nan in-game discussions betwixt officials arsenic "too chaotic", but are continuing tests of referees announcing decisions to nan crowd, arsenic seen successful nan 2023 Women's World Cup.

So for now, Scholes and Webb opportunity that to amended nan acquisition for fans astatine top-flight games this play they scheme to "put much replays connected nan large screens" and make much usage of societal media.

Scholes said nan Premier League are "potentially" going to proceedings in-game announcements, but not yet because "with nan changes we're making we don't want to put further unit connected nan referees".

Webb hosts a regular show called Match Officials Mic'd Up which plays retired nan audio discussions betwixt referees and nan VAR astir selected cardinal decisions.

Since VAR was introduced, nan guidance for its usage has ever been to correct "clear and evident errors". That measurement tin besides beryllium subjective.

'Clear and obvious' remains nan cardinal test. But Scholes said they person a "six-point plan" approved by clubs and explained to players, which includes:

Scholes explained: "When we do spot [VAR] we'll spot it applied quicker truthful that nan delays that occurred aft nan incident astatine Liverpool past twelvemonth which damaged everybody... I deliberation you'll spot a simplification successful delays and less VAR interventions."

Webb added: "You don't spot it that overmuch successful nan Premier League anyway, our involution levels are little than beautiful overmuch each different convention anywhere.

"What you will spot is much efficiency. We cognize present that group don't want forensic introspection erstwhile that's not necessary. We're looking for those clear errors that should jump disconnected nan surface and if that doesn't beryllium successful nan business past cheque complete and we move on."

In a briefing document issued by nan Premier League to its 20 clubs earlier past season's ballot to scrap VAR, it said nan mean hold to a crippled for a azygous VAR cheque lasted 64 seconds successful nan 2023‑24 season.

That was longer than nan 40-second mean successful 2022-23.

Webb said: "There was undoubtedly much be aware shown by nan officials aft that [Liverpool's Luis Diaz] situation.

"I deliberation fundamentally a batch of nan vexation comes not retired of nan last determination - erstwhile group return a measurement backmost they cognize nan crippled throws up statement - but sometimes it tin slow nan crippled down, it tin return up clip to get to that determination and moreover if it is correct successful nan immense majority, if it's taken excessively agelong to get location it tin get frustrating."

One area that has been shown to amended velocity and accuracy is semi-automated offside exertion (SAOT).

It will not beryllium successful spot for nan commencement of nan caller season, but Scholes said nan "expectation" was for October.

Fifa first utilized nan exertion astatine nan 2022 men's World Cup successful Qatar and it was besides successful cognition astatine nan men's Euros this summer.

It is anticipated SAOT could trim nan magnitude of a VAR cheque for offside by 31 seconds. It saves officials clip drafting offside lines connected monitors.

Scholes added: "We're going to bring it successful erstwhile we're perfectly definite that it will activity decently and amended things. We'll beryllium testing it done nan first lucifer rounds of nan year, it will beryllium moving successful nan background.

"We're bringing successful a caller system, a different strategy which is much meticulous than nan strategy which is successful usage successful different competitions."