The opening day of the Premier League season at Old Trafford saw a new piece of VAR terminology briefly cause confusion, with a leading expert urging viewers to disregard Sky Sports' commentary on the technology.
Manchester United's clash with Fulham saw Erik ten Hag's side come close to breaking the deadlock in the first half, with Bruno Fernandes narrowly missing a chance and Casemiro firing over the bar. However, it was a comment from the Sky Sports commentary team regarding the use of VAR that caught the attention of expert Dale Johnson.
Sky Sports claimed that a new term, "Referee's Call," indicated a higher threshold for VAR intervention. Johnson, however, took to Twitter to state: "Ignore those comms. The threshold for VAR isn't 'much higher' this season. It's staying exactly the same. 'Referee's Call' is just a new term, not a change of approach."
Tony Scholes, the Premier League's Chief Football Officer, has since offered clarification on the meaning of "Referee's Call," explaining that it is "simply an introduction of terminology to make it clear that the initial decision by the on-pitch official is crucial."
Scholes went on to explain: "The referee's call should stand unless the VAR, based on readily available evidence, can see without doubt the on-pitch official has made a clear mistake. In the absence of that clear evidence, the referee's call will stand."
While the meaning of "Referee's Call" has been cleared up, there is one significant change to VAR this season: the introduction of the Premier League Match Centre account on Twitter. This new account aims to provide real-time explanations for VAR decisions made by officials at Stockley Park.
The account has already detailed two VAR decisions during the United vs Fulham game. Firstly, it explained the decision to award Harry Maguire a yellow card for simulation inside the penalty area. Secondly, it explained why a penalty was not awarded to United for a challenge involving Alex Iwobi and Antonee Robinson. In both cases, the VAR sided with the referee's original call.
The introduction of the Premier League Match Centre account promises to shed further light on VAR decisions, aiming to provide greater transparency and understanding for fans. It remains to be seen how the new terminology and communication channels will impact the implementation of VAR in the Premier League this season.
