Posted on 30th March 2026
Our 2026VAR survey is not a criticism of referees, who have a very difficult job, nor is it a criticism of the Premier League, who obviously want accurate decision making in their competition.
We meet regularly with referees’ body PGMO and the Premier League to relay fans’ views and we look forward to discussing the new survey data with both organisations
You can read the Premier League’s immediate response to our survey below, and a summary of PGMO’s position based on previous discussions.
A Premier League spokesperson said: “The Premier League recognises the importance of minimising the impact of VAR on the supporter experience. Since the introduction of the VAR Improvement Plan at the start of the 2024/25 season, the League and PGMO have implemented in‑stadium referee announcements and more proactive communications, while there has also been the introduction of semi‑automated offside technology – all designed to improve clarity, speed, and communication around key decisions.
“VAR delivers more correct decisions. In recent seasons, there have been around 100 correct VAR overturns per season – instances where goals would otherwise have been incorrectly awarded or disallowed, or red cards or penalties missed or wrongly given.
“The Premier League works closely with PGMO to continually improve the operation of VAR, with the aim of ensuring minimal interference in matches wherever possible. The League applies a high threshold for VAR intervention, with the Referee’s Call taking precedence. As a result, VAR is less intrusive in the Premier League than in other European leagues, including the Champions League, where VAR intervenes almost twice as often.
“As part of ongoing dialogue with supporters, Premier League research***indicates fans are largely in favour of keeping VAR, but improving the way it is used. This remains a priority for both the Premier League and PGMO, and the League will continue to engage with all stakeholders to build on the progress made through the VAR Improvement Plan.”
*FSA note – The Premier League’s survey data was independently collected by Yonder. The question asked was “Regarding the future of VAR in the Premier League, which of the following options would you prefer?” and the three options were: 1. Keep VAR in its current form; 2. Keep VAR but improve the way it is used; 3. Remove VAR.
We asked the Premier League how many supporters had responded to the questions, what percentage were matchgoing fans, and what percentage had replied to each option but the Premier League told us they don’t release this data.
We know from ongoing discussions that PGMO understandsthat lengthy VAR delays cause frustration and they are working to speed up the process. That has led to a reduction in the delay to games over the past couple of seasons (delays per game due to VAR now stands at 48 seconds according to PGMO data).
PGMO also says that the Premier League has the lowest VAR intervention rate in European football with officials in England intervening once in every four matches on average.There is a “post-VAR” accuracy rate of 96% in the Premier League (86% on the field), as judged by an independentKey Match Incident Panel made up of former managers and players.
PGMO has also tested the suitability of officials from the professional game outside of the Premier League to become VARs. Fifteen have come through that development programme with seven now regularly being appointed to games in the top flight.
PGMO say there have also been welcome steps to improve communication within stadiums with referees now announcing VAR decisions alongside big screen messaging and graphics.