Richard Masters, Howard Webb, Bournemouth, Wolves
Credit: Imago / ITV Sport YouTube
Keith Hackett
Mon 16 June 2025 16:45, UK
Keith Hackett is leaning towards VAR being scrapped from English football after Bournemouth were caught up in a frustrating incident.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider he remains worried about the implementation of semi-automated offside (SAOT) after multiple instances of error using the technology.
After Evanilson had taken the lead against Wolves in March, Liverpool-linked full-back Milos Kerkez looked to have doubled the Cherries’ lead in the FA Cup, only for an eight-minute VAR check to ensue.
With semi-automated offside not working for the FA Cup clash, those at Stockley Park deliberated on the decision, with The Guardian reporting (18 March) that a “congested” penalty area led to the failure.
🗣️ “Even with technology nothing is foolproof”
Bournemouth and Wolves fans chanted “this is embarrassing” as it took seven minutes for a goal check despite semi-automated offside technology being used for the first time in English football during this weekend’s FA Cup matches ⚽ pic.twitter.com/aHPArE0oM4
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 3, 2025
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Bournemouth v Wolves raises questions over use of SAOT
The latest incident to cause controversy in the Premier League was Thomas Bramall’s important mistake during Aston Villa’s defeat to Man United on the final day of the season.
While that was all down to human error, rather than the use of technology, mistakes continue to crop up in what is often referred to as the “best league in the world”, but supporters continue to be left frustrated.
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SAOT was brought in to alleviate the pressure on VAR officials to draw lines when it came to tight offside decisions, but if the technology stops working at the most critical of moments, it raises questions over its usefulness.
Keith Hackett sceptical of VAR after more controversy
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “Towards the end of the season, we also had a six-minute delay for an almost-identical incident. It seems there is a flaw in the semi-automated system that’s been adopted.
“With AI, and the number of points on each individual player, it’s easy to pick that up when players are in midfield, or if only a few players are involved in an offside situation.
“In the Bournemouth situation, when there’s a crowded penalty area, when you often need the semi-automated system to be at its most accurate, it fails. I worry about that.
Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett is leaning towards getting rid of VAR.
“Given that the system uses, I think, 48 cameras, compared to the 12 cameras used in Europe… But it was clearly unhelpful for the match officials. What made it more ridiculous was that the decision was clear without it.
“It was one in the past that assistant referees would have flagged. I’m less confident now in the current semi-automated decisions regarding the answers we’re looking for and the accuracy we want.
“I still think we’re a long way off with VAR. At the moment, I’m leaning towards binning it rather than improving it.”
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