Premier League video assistant referees have made six incorrect interventions this season – and missed a further six incidents when they should have stepped in.
A five-person independent panel was introduced this season to carry out a weekly Key Match Incident (KMI) review of all Premier League matches.
BBC Sport understands the commission went through hundreds of incidents and identified 48 situations where VAR should have been involved, with 42 correct decisions made.
However, six incidents were found to have been completely missed, and on another six occasions VAR overturned on-field decisions that were initially correct.
It is not known what the individual decisions were, but the Premier League’s newly appointed chief referee, Howard Webb, is determined to improve standards.
Given his time in Major League Soccer (MLS), where VAR has been used since 2017, it’s no surprise that Webb, who refereed the 2010 World Cup final, is a proponent of the system.
However, he realizes that his implementation in the English game has not gone smoothly.
It is understood that a new VAR coach, Phil Bentham, whose background is in rugby league, has now been appointed and that Webb intends to visit all Premier League clubs and some in the Football League early in the new year to discuss in-game refereeing. in general.
The Premier League wants to be part of the interim concussion trial
The use of concussion substitutes remains a controversial topic in the Premier League.
The Professional Footballers’ Association renewed its call to allow temporary substitutions at the end of October, when Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez remained on the field after taking a knock to the head against Newcastle, but was then substituted minutes later.
Premier League doctors believe the use of temporary substitutes would bring positive benefits and, along with France’s Ligue 1 and North America’s MLS, the league has written to the game’s governing body, Ifab, via the World League Forum, to say they are willing to be part of a trial next season .
The World Leagues Forum and Fifpro have also written a letter, seen by BBC Sport, asking Ifab to allow trials of temporary concussion replacements to be introduced.
The Premier League does not expect a response until March and understands the request could be rejected as there has been no change in Ifab’s belief, backed by at least one major European league, that temporary replacements could cause more problems due to rapid concussion assessments.
Ifab maintains that any player suspected of having a concussion should be fully substituted.
Cunha could play for Wolves on January 4
BBC Sport has learned that the Premier League has decided to treat January 1 and 2, which fall on Saturday and Sunday, as working days for player registration purposes.
This means clubs signing players can register them as soon as the January transfer window opens, in time for the Round 19 tie, which begins with Liverpool’s trip to Brentford on January 2.
It is significant for the Wolves because it potentially allows Matheus Cunha to feature in the Midlands derby at Aston Villa on January 4, provided the Brazilian’s loan from Atletico Madrid is completed in time.
It also revealed that the average duration of Premier League games has increased by 38 seconds this season as referees have become more proactive in dealing with time wastage.
However, while the initiative will continue, league officials do not expect games to be extended to the same levels that some games did at the Qatar World Cup, when games lasting more than 100 minutes became the norm.
