Premier League forced to defend VAR as survey shows 75% of fans want it scrapped

Martin Macdonald

• 30 Mar 2026 11:01 CDT
• 3 min read

News

The Premier League has released a statement supporting the use of VAR after a fan survey showed that 75% of supporters want the technology scrapped completely.

VAR has been used in the Premier League since the start of the 2019–20 season, after being officially approved and introduced to help referees make more accurate decisions using video replays. It was brought in to review key match incidents such as goals, penalties and red cards but the stoppages have proved almost universally unpopular among match-going fans.

According to a survey by the Football Supporters Association, 75.5% of fans answered "No" when asked, "When taking all things into consideration, do you support the use of VAR in football?"

Eighty-six per cent expressed concerns about VAR's powers being increased further.

The FSA found that:

- More than nine in ten fans (91.7%) said VAR had removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations.

- Only 3.3% of fans stated that the matchgoing experience is better with VAR.

- The majority (58%) of fans wanted to retain the in-stadium announcements from referees.

- A hypothetical challenge system, whereby VAR interventions would be limited per game, had the support of almost half (47.2%) of supporters.

- Only one in five fans (20.8%) said they backed the expansion of VAR to check if corners had been correctly awarded.

“These findings back up the FSA’s previous survey in 2021, where fans expressed misgivings about the introduction of VAR," The FSA’s Premier League network manager Thomas Concannon said.

“The vast majority are reporting the same concerns five years on – the loss of spontaneity when celebrating goals, and an overall worsening of the matchgoing experience.

“We have shared the survey results with the Premier League and PGMO, and look forward to discussing its findings with them.”

Premier League responds

The Premier League has now sought to defend the use of VAR after the survey results were made publix.

A 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.”

According to data from Professional Game Match Officials, the average time delay due to a VAR intervention for this season is 48 seconds.

The FSA said on their official website that the survey was not intended to catalyse criticism of referees or the Premier League, but simply to gauge how supporters felt about the current use of VAR technology.

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