Most English fans don't want VAR

 Most English fans don't want VAR

VAR (Video Assistant Referee)(Getty)

The use of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in football has caused disappointment among English supporters. While most supporters were in favor of VAR before its implementation, they are now against it.

According to a recent survey, 79.1% of spectators who attended matches in person were not satisfied with VAR. They consider the video refereeing system to be 'weak' or 'very weak.' On the other hand, 63.3% of supporters are not biased towards keeping the VAR system in place.

The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) of the United Kingdom conducted this survey, as reported by the BBC. A total of 9,645 supporters participated in the online survey between March and April.

The first survey on this topic was conducted by the FSA in 2017. In response to the question of whether video refereeing is needed to make referee decisions more accurate, 74.6% of supporters voted in favor. VAR primarily reviews four aspects - whether a goal has been scored, whether a penalty has been awarded, whether a direct red card has been shown, and the identification of the correct person (to avoid showing a yellow card to the wrong player).

The new survey indicates that 92% of supporters believe that it takes too much time to make decisions through VAR. Conversely, only 26.8% fully support the current VAR system.

Among the spectators who attended matches, only 5.5% have rated their experience with VAR as good or very good. However, 65.4% of TV viewers have described VAR as weak or very weak. Additionally, 80% of survey participants have expressed their interest in knowing the discussions between VAR and on-field referees.

According to a recent report by ESPN, a total of 116 decisions have been overturned by VAR in the 2022-23 season. Out of these, 33 decisions confirmed goals, while 55 decisions ruled out goals.