"We've lost a bit of that contact sport, probably because of the intervention of VAR. "The experience we have had over the last couple of seasons is that the Premier League is all about competitive and compelling contact," Riley says. So, for example, an attacking player receiving the ball from an offside position down the wing will now be flagged offside by the assistant. This allows the VAR to check to see if the attacker was onside and a goal could then be awarded.Īfter a season of learning and feedback from players and clubs, the 2021/22 Premier League assistant referees will raise the threshold for what constitutes an immediate and obvious goalscoring opportunity. Once a goal had been scored or the chance had gone, only then would the assistants raise their flags to indicate the initial offence. Delaying the flagĪs part of the VAR process last season, Premier League assistant referees delayed raising their flags when an immediate goalscoring opportunity was likely to occur, even if they thought there had been an offside. This process is similar to the one in place at UEFA Euro 2020 and other international competitions. In the first two seasons of VAR, the Premier League displayed the whole process of the VAR determining the offside call to broadcasters, who could share with viewers.įor 2021/22, all that will be shared with viewers is the final image confirming the decision of offside or not.
There will also be a difference in how VAR decisions on potential offsides will be conveyed to TV viewers. "So effectively, what we give back to the game is 20 goals that were disallowed last season." "We then put on the thicker broadcast lines and where they overlap, those situations will now be deemed as onside. We apply the one-pixel lines, placing the defending line and then the attacking line. “So in a really close offside situation we carry on following the same processes that we did last year with VAR.
“We have effectively reintroduced the benefit of the doubt to the attacking player,” says Mike Riley, Managing Director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the referees’ body. Principles for decision-making around what challenges by players should constitute fouls Marginal offsides The assistant delaying the flag for offsides
In 2021/22, referees on the pitch and in the VAR Hub in Stockley Park will be making improvements in three areas: The 2021/22 season will be the third in the competition with Video Assistant Referees (VAR).Įach season of VAR brings learning opportunities, and the implementation of VAR will adjust in line with those to bring further improvements. We look at new things for fans to keep an eye out for in the 2021/22 Premier League as we get closer to the start of the season. PL Summer Sessions to support young during holidays