Howard Webb is pushing hard to open up referees’ conversations around VAR to the public – and the changes could be implemented for next season.
Webb took over as head of the PGMOL in December and has set about trying to improve the controversial VAR system, which has infuriated fans up and down the country. The former Premier League referee, who took charge of the 2010 World Cup final, was responsible for revolutionising VAR in the MLS and he wants similar changes in England.
Fans, pundits and managers have been calling for referees to be forced to explain their decisions in an effort to demystify things. The Daily Mail reports that progress has been made and the audio of the referee talking to the VAR may be released soon.
The PGMOL, IFAB – the organisation in charge of football’s laws – Premier League clubs and broadcasters are all keen on the idea. Discussions are taking place behind the scenes, with the only sticking point being that IFAB wants them to only be published after matches, not broadcast live.
The changes won’t come before the end of the current campaign, but could be in place for the 2023/24 season. It would help clear up decisions like the one to award Liverpool a penalty against Fulham this week, but would not allow fans inside the conversation between Jurgen Klopp and Paul Tierney from the drama-filled win over Tottenham.
“We’re doing everything we can to be as transparent as we can,” Webb told talkSPORT recently. “But there’s some parameters that we have to work within that FIFA set, but we’re going to push those.
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“We’re going to do everything we can to draw the curtain back, we’re going to do some stuff post-game that’s not been done before fairly soon and then if we can do stuff in-game we’ll do it.
“We’ll see what we can do post-game, even in-game with the stadium audience, that’s certainly my intention and hopefully you’ll see some developments in the coming weeks.”
He added: “Since I came here I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the communication with the officials.
“We’ve started showing broadcasters how good the communication is and that’s been really well received, we want to give that to the public and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see it.”
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has praised Webb’s impact on officiating in the US, where he established a feature called 'Inside Video Review' which allows fans to watch referees explain decisions.
"Nobody complains about the officials in MLS the way they used to, and they don't complain about officials in MLS as much as they do in other leagues around the world,” Garber told Mirror Football in February. “That is a credit to Howard and the people around PRO [Professional Referees Organisation].”
