For the first time in English football history, referees will announce VAR decisions over the stadium PA system during a match, with the historic development set to be put to the test during the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Arsenal host Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on January 7, while Liverpool travel to Tottenham Hotspur the following day for first leg of the final four. The reverse fixtures will be held in the first week of February and all four ties will be subject to a new evolution of video assistant refereeing.
As a result of the initiatives adopted by other contests, the Carabao Cup The semi-final referees will be able to directly communicate the decisions they make in conjunction with the VAR to the fans in the stadium and therefore to those watching on TV with the sound on.
A statement of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), English football’s refereeing body, revealed that the public address system would be used whenever the referee switches to the pitch monitor or “the conclusion of factual matters such as ‘accidental handball by a scorer’. or offside offenses where the attacker touches the ball.”
PGMOL described the move as “part of our broader commitment to transparency, which includes greater clarity and understanding about key decisions.”
A follow-up statement from the English Football League (EFL), the governing body that runs the Carabao Cup, stressed that “only the final decision will be announced at the stadium”, rather than an explanation behind the call.
PGMOL chief referee Howard Webb has made an active effort to remove the veil of mystique that often hangs over officiating decisions, leaving a void that is invariably filled by conspiracy theories. This push for transparency has taken the form of The match officials have put on the microphone – a bimonthly show in which the former referee of the World Cup final reviews the most controversial decisions to the highest flight of England – and the in-game explanations from the Premier League’s Match Center X account.
During an episode of Mic’d Up last April, Webb teased this ad update. “We are looking at ways to improve the experience in the stadium,” said the former Premier League manager.
“One of the things you might have seen in FIFA tournaments, like the Women’s World Cup, is the referee announcements after they’ve been on the screen. So we’re looking at that, we’re keeping an open mind. about if this is something we could use in the Premier League.”
