There’s two simple ways that VAR can be improved in the Premier League, says Stuart Broad.
There is a huge amount riding on high-level sport, and always pressure — sometimes, too much. The level of passion in the stands at a football game goes beyond anything I’ve seen on the cricket field.
Well, the Aussies might run it close when Mitchell Johnson gets into a rhythm! Those big moments can make or break careers or significantly impact a club’s fortunes, so it’s important we arrive at the right decisions.
In cricket, we’ve had technology since 2008, called the Decision Review System (DRS). You’ll rarely see a batsman and bowler square up to one another over a controversial ‘challenge’. Technology stops that.
It creates a level of objectivity, which cools things down and ensures the game is played with fairness and in the right spirit. Minimising human error in those moments can only be a good thing. Let’s not forget, the officials are desperate for the correct decision too and certainly don’t relish the criticism that comes their way.
No matter how smart the technology is, there’s always someone who has to operate it.
So, yes, I’m a fan of VAR, but it’s certainly not perfect at the moment. And that’s where the ‘human error’ comes in. No matter how smart the technology is, there’s always someone who has to arbitrate or operate it. Refereeing is an incredibly tough job, so I don’t want to pile in on the PGMOL.
But there are two clear ways they could help themselves, in my opinion, and ultimately improve the game.
Firstly, we all find it frustrating when you’re celebrating a goal, only for it to be chalked off for an infringement. It diminishes that raw, natural emotion that sport delivers.
I believe it’s in these moments, following the incident, that VAR is falling short for the paying fan in the stadium. It’s incredibly boring when you’re left in the dark. There’s just a screen saying, “checking possible offside”.
When I’m at the game, I want to see what is happening. Show me the footage and make the conversations between the referees and VAR officials audible to fans in the stadium.
I want to hear and understand how the decisions are made. It works so well in rugby and cricket. Bring me in as the fan, keep my emotions invested in the decision, and give me a talking point or a debate to have with my mate sitting next to me.
In sport, we will always disagree on decisions and points of view — that’s part of the beauty! It’s a conversation in the pub with your friends. But with the audio of how the decision has been reached, whether right or wrong, at least we will understand it.
It’s a positive step that Ligue 1 has introduced this approach this season, and it’s been refreshing to see the PGMOL release audio clips after games—albeit under very controlled circumstances. I understand that officials might feel under more pressure, but we can alleviate that with this next thought.
Introduce a review system. When I think back to my experience in cricket, we’ve seen the DRS introduced really successfully. Its greatest strength is that players are responsible for the reviews.
You only have a finite number of reviews, so you can’t just use them continuously and stop the game all the time. Players need to think carefully about whether to review a decision, putting some of the responsibility back on them, rather than just on the referees.
The onus will be on players to be honest about decisions.
Each team captain would get three referrals per game. For example, if a striker gets tripped in the box and no penalty is given, the captain can ask the striker whether they genuinely feel there was enough contact to warrant a penalty and if it’s worth a review.
Or if a defender gets a red card for a bad tackle, the captain can consult the defender and decide whether to use a review or whether it’s a case of holding their hands up and walking down the tunnel with their head down. The onus will be on players to be honest about decisions, rather than relying solely on referees.
You’ve seen how pivotal a wasted review can be in Test Cricket — just look at Headingley 2019 and Ben Stokes!
This would also add more weight to the role of the captain, giving them real in-game decision-making power. Teams would really have to manage their referrals wisely — do they burn them early or save them for a critical moment? And if they get the decision right, they keep their review.
VAR is always a conversation between my friends and me, especially as we didn’t get the rub of the green last season with our team, Nottingham Forest, so naturally, I feel improvement is needed.
I am a supporter of technology, but we need to value the matchday experience moving forwards.
The guys at Fitzdares have given me a £500 pot to use on on a selection of the major sporting events over the next month. All the profits will go to my Motor Neurone Disease charity — The Broad Appeal. Here’s what I’m backing…
£100 Rory McIlroy @ 9/2
Alfred Dunhill Links, 3rd – 6th Oct
£100 Warrington Wolves @ 4/1
Super League 2024, 12th Oct
£100 Lando Norris @ 11/10
US Grand Prix, 20th Oct
£100 Nottingham Forest @ 6/4
Notts Forest vs Leicester, 25th Oct
£100 Draw @ 5/2
Arsenal vs Liverpool, 27th Oct
Stuart Broad is Fitzdares’ first-ever global Brand Ambassador.
