
The Premier League has confirmed 13 Video Assistant Referee (VAR) mistakes so far this season—four incorrect interventions and nine missed interventions across the first 23 rounds of matches.
VAR mistakes down from 20 last season
70 VAR interventions in 239 matches (one every three games)
Premier League accuracy rate: 96.4% (up from 95.7% last season)
Despite these improvements, VAR remains a hot topic, especially after major errors impacted key matches.
The Four Biggest VAR Errors This Season
Outtara “Handball” – Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle (25 August)
What Happened?
Dango Outtara thought he had scored a late winner for Bournemouth with a header.
Referee David Coote allowed the goal.
VAR Intervention:
VAR Tim Robinson ruled it handball but didn’t send Coote to the pitchside monitor.
Outcome:
No clear evidence showed the ball hit Outtara’s arm illegally.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb later confirmed VAR was wrong to intervene.
De Ligt Foul on Ings – West Ham 2-1 Man Utd (27 October)
What Happened?
West Ham striker Danny Ings went down in the box after a challenge from Mathijs de Ligt.
Referee David Coote waved play on.
VAR Intervention:
VAR Michael Oliver advised Coote to check the monitor.
Coote awarded a penalty, which Jarrod Bowen scored to win the match for West Ham.
Outcome:
Erik ten Hag was sacked the next day.
Webb later admitted West Ham should not have been given a penalty.
Norgaard Red Card – Brentford 0-0 Everton (23 November)
What Happened?
Brentford’s Christian Norgaard caught Jordan Pickford on the knee in a challenge.
Referee Chris Kavanagh took no action initially.
VAR Intervention:
VAR advised Kavanagh to review the incident.
Norgaard received a straight red card.
Outcome:
Brentford appealed, and an independent panel overturned the red card.
Milenkovic Disallowed Goal – Nottingham Forest 3-2 Southampton (19 January)
What Happened?
Nikola Milenkovic scored a header to put Nottingham Forest 4-1 up.
VAR Intervention:
VAR ruled out the goal, claiming Chris Wood (offside) interfered with play, despite not touching the ball.
Outcome:
An independent panel confirmed the goal should have stood.
Premier League’s Next Steps: Semi-Automated Offside Technology
The league is making “significant progress” in implementing semi-automated offside technology.
Expected to reduce offside check times by 31 seconds.
Officials still hope to introduce it before the season ends.
Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes:
“This technology won’t improve accuracy but will speed up the process. If we’re confident, why wouldn’t we introduce it?”
💬 Should VAR Be Improved or Scrapped?
VAR remains one of the most debated topics in football. While mistakes have decreased, errors still impact crucial matches.
💬 Should VAR stay, be improved, or be scrapped? Drop your thoughts below! 👇