Premier League clubs agree to introduce VAR

English Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to introduce Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to the competition for the 2019-20 season.

At a shareholders’ meeting today (15 November 2018), the 20 clubs were provided with an update on the non-live VAR trials being undertaken by the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) this season.

Key learnings from VAR’s use in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and other leagues across the world, were discussed in detail.

The Premier League’s non-live testing programme will remain in place for the rest of this season, with a continued emphasis on those Saturday afternoons which have several matches being played concurrently. It will also look to develop a clear protocol for communicating VAR decisions to fans.

The EPL will now formally make a request to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA to use VAR next season.