Video Assistant Referee procedure
For a third consecutive season, VAR will be used to assist the on-field referee in all Premier League fixtures – but this season some alterations have been made.
Marginal offsides will now be determined by thicker lines, with overlapping lines now being seen as onside. While the officials at Stockley Park will place the lines for the attacker and the defender, the viewers at home will just see the final image confirming whether or not the goal can stand – a similar process to that used at this summer’s European Championship.
“We have effectively reintroduced the benefit of the doubt to the attacking player,” explained Mike Riley, Managing Director of the PGMOL. “What we give back to the game is 20 goals that were disallowed last season.”
While the offside flag was delayed last season for any marginal offsides, this will now only be the case for immediate goalscoring opportunities. Should the attacking player receive the ball in an offside position on the wing, the assistant referee will flag immediately.
VAR and penalties
The threshold for penalties given by VAR has been raised, meaning that small contacts will no longer automatically constitute a penalty.