Former Premier League referee insists VAR is 'not fit for purpose'

Martin Macdonald

• 11 Apr 2026 09:01 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott says VAR is not fit for purpose.

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.

Scott, an official for a decade who acted as VAR operator for over 100 games, insists referees don't relish being a "party pooper" by disallowing goals for small infringements or marginal offsides.

"Referees are people, too, and feel the pain inflicted by a video review system that is simply not fit for purpose," Scott told the New York Times.

"We take no pleasure in disallowing goals because a player's forehead, kneecap or big toe is too far advanced in the build-up. We hate standing around getting cold and wet while a colleague conducts a forensic analysis of a poorly timed tackle or potential penalty.

"Naturally, we are relieved when a grievous error is corrected, because none of us wants to be responsible for such an injustice, especially if it affects the result.

"But none of the Premier League's refs or growing cohort of specialist VARs revel in the role of party pooper. Despite what some would have you believe, we know the game is not about us. All our measures of success are a positive spin on a negative metric: avoiding error, staying off the radar, and keeping our heads below the parapet."

75% of fans want VAR scrapped

Over three-quarters of football fans want VAR scrapped from the game.

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.”

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