Football

VAR: How will the Premier League adapt to the video assistant referee system

Published

5 years ago

August 6, 2019

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The Premier League has monitored and recorded data from 69 games in which VAR has been used prior to its introduction for the 2019-20 top-flight season

Like it or not, VAR is coming to the Premier League this season.

England’s top flight is one of the last high-profile competitions to get on board with the technology.

VAR (video assistant referee system) has been gradually introduced into most major domestic leagues in the world over the past two years and been used in the Champions League from 2017-18, the 2018 World Cup in Russia and this summer’s Women’s World Cup in France.

Seen by many as a natural and necessary progression for modern football (video replays are already an integral part of sports such as cricket, tennis and both codes of rugby), it also has its detractors, who fear it could slow the game down and reduce its spontaneity and passion.

So what can Premier League fans expect from VAR next season? And how will the league ensure this step into modernity is as seamless and efficient as possible?

BBC Sport answers the important questions.