Premier League video assistant referees have made six incorrect interventions this season – and also missed six other incidents when they should have intervened.
A five-person independent panel was introduced this season to carry out a weekly Key Match Incident (KMI) review for all top-flight matches.
BBC Sport understands the panel went through hundreds of incidents and identified 48 situations where VAR needed to get involved, with 42 correct decisions made.
However, he found that six incidents had been completely missed and on a further six occasions VAR overturned on-field decisions that were initially correct.
It’s unclear what the individual decisions were, but new Premier League refereeing director Howard Webb is determined to improve the standards.
Given his time in Major League Soccer (MLS), where VAR has been used since 2017, it’s no surprise that Webb, who refereed the 2010 World Cup final, is a supporter of the system.
However, he realizes that his implementation in the English game has not gone smoothly.
It is understood that a new VAR coach, whose experience is in rugby league, has now been appointed and Webb intends to visit all top flight clubs and some in the Football League at the start of the new year to discuss officiating in the game as a whole. .
Premier League wants to be part of subs’ temporary concussion trial
The use of concussion substitutes also continues to be a controversial topic in the Premier League.
The Professional Footballers’ Association has renewed its call for temporary replacements to be allowed at the end of October when Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez remained on the pitch after taking a knock to the head against Newcastle but was then substituted minutes later.
Premier League doctors believe the use of temporary substitutes would bring positive benefits and, along with France’s Ligue 1 and North American MLS, the league has written to the game’s regulator, Ifab, by the intermediary of the World Leagues Forum, to say that they are ready to be part of a trial next season.
He doesn’t expect a response until March and realizes the request could be rejected as there has been no change in Ifab’s belief, backed by at least one major European league, that temporary substitutions could cause more problems rushing concussion assessments.
The Ifab remain of the view that any player suspected of having a concussion should be fully replaced.
Cunha could play for Wolves on January 4
BBC Sport understands that the Premier League has decided to treat January 1 and 2, which fall on Saturday and Sunday, as working days for player registration purposes.
This means clubs that sign players can register them as soon as the January transfer window opens, in time for match round 19, which begins with Liverpool’s trip to Brentford on January 2.
For wolves, it is important because it potentially allows Matheus Cunha will take part in the Midlands derby at Aston Villa on January 4, provided the Brazilian’s loan from Atletico Madrid is completed in time.
The average length of Premier League matches has also been discovered to have increased by 38 seconds this season as referees have become more proactive about wasting time.
However, while this initiative will continue, league officials do not expect games to stretch to the same level as some World Cup matches in Qatar, when matches lasting over 100 minutes became the standard.
