VAR: Premier League referees still instructed to use pitchside monitors 'sparingly'
Monday 6 January 2020 16:22, UK
Premier League referees are still instructed to use a pitchside monitor "sparingly" before they overturn key decisions, despite its use in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Michael Oliver became the first referee in English football to use a monitor this season before he upgraded Luka Milivojevic's yellow card to a sending off during Crystal Palace's tie against Derby.
Sky Sports News understands that the on-field review has not prompted a change in stance from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who prefer their referees to only check for unseen red card incidents.
Pitchside monitors have not been used in almost 210 Premier League games this season.
Former Premier League referee Bobby Madley believes Oliver's decision is consistent with the use of Video Assistant Referees [VARs] across all competitions.
"This is not a change in policy," Madley wrote in a blog post. "Nor is it an FA v PGMOL stance. It has been policy all season, but the fact is no unseen red cards have occurred yet this season and hence this was the first example of such. Maybe it will be the start of more reviews but this I do not believe was a sudden shift in policy by the governing body."
It is understood that Oliver's decision was not a result of any request from the Football Association to the PGMOL.
Referee Craig Pawson used a monitor during Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round tie with West Brom in January 2018, during VAR trials.
Before the start of this season, the PGMOL instructed referees to use monitors sparingly, after claiming it could take at least 90 seconds for each review.
"The referee always has the ability to go and look at the monitor if that's what they choose to do," Mike Riley, PGMOL managing director, told Sky Sports News after a club meeting in September. "We have to balance not impacting on the speed and flow of the game."
Since the beginning of VAR implementation in its competitions, FIFA, world football's governing body, has recommended that referees conduct an on-field review before deciding to overturn an initial decision.
A factual decision, such as offside, is considered an exception.
Last month, Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, called on Premier League referees to use pitchside monitors.
"The referee needs to have a monitor to check if he was right or wrong," said Wenger. "He will gain in credibility, especially, knowing that the people at VAR have yet to have the experience to make these kinds of decisions. He has a review to see if he was right or wrong. That is important for his confidence as well."
Premier League clubs are expected to receive a VAR update from Riley at their next meeting on February 6 in London.
