La Liga has announced a significant change to VAR, which the Premier League has refused to implement despite widespread calls.
Since its inception, VAR has been the subject of heated discussion. Questions about the use of video technology in games, as well as the competency of officials who utilize it, remain unanswered.
This season has seen a number of errors in the Premier League, some of which have not been overturned or have been overturned incorrectly by VAR.
Perhaps the most contentious was in September when VAR rejected a goal scored by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz for offside, despite video evidence plainly demonstrating that the player was onside.
As a result, the PGMOL – the body in charge of Premier League referees – revealed recordings between the officials who made the mistake and admitted to a “significant” human error.
It prompted requests for audio between referees and VAR to be made public whenever a review is conducted, which La Liga has already done.
What Change Has La Liga Announced For VAR?
According to ESPN, conversations between Spain’s officials and the Video Assistant Referee will be made public as part of an agreement between La Liga and the Spanish football organization.
At the end of each day, broadcasters will get access to exchanges between officials after an event has been evaluated using a pitchside monitor.
“This initiative marks a new era of collaboration and collective work between the RFEF and [refereeing body] CTA and LaLiga, with the aim of bringing greater transparency to professional football refereeing, and the competitions themselves,” the RFEF and LaLiga statement said.
Since the resignation of contentious president Luis Rubiales, the relationship between La Liga and the football federation has improved dramatically.
Following a trial in the Spanish Supercopa, the new audio rules will be officially adopted in La Liga next month.
The announcement may push other top leagues in Europe to follow suit, which means we may soon hear conversations between officials in England.
This would provide spectators with a more detailed explanation of VAR decisions, boosting the game and transparency overall.
The Premier League has already contemplated big adjustments to VAR in response to manager concerns, so this might be the next in a series of revisions.
