Survey Reveals Global Leagues’ Desire for TV Coverage of VAR Discussions

The Majority of Global Leagues Favor Broadcasting Referee and VAR Dialogue, Survey Finds

A recent survey conducted by the World Leagues Forum, chaired by Richard Masters of the Premier League, revealed that a significant number of global leagues are in favor of airing dialogue between referees and the video assistant referee (VAR) during broadcasts. Out of the 41 competitions surveyed, 25 leagues expressed their support for this proposal.

This development comes at a time when public sentiment towards VAR in English football is waning. According to a previous survey published in June, nearly two-thirds of supporters oppose its use. The Premier League, helmed by Chief Executive Richard Masters himself, declined to comment on whether they endorse broadcasting referee-VAR conversations following the anonymous survey.

Currently, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), which governs football’s laws, does not permit television audiences to listen to two-way audio feeds between referees and VAR officials.

In England alone, data from a fan poll disclosed that 63.3% were against VAR implementation while 79.1% rated their experience with it as poor or very poor.

Interestingly enough though,
back in 2017 before VAR was introduced,
an earlier poll conducted by
the Football Supporters’ Association showed
a stark contrast with
a massive majority of fans – around 74.6% –
favouring video referees
to assist on-field officials
with game-changing decisions.

The Voice behind Global Football

The World Leagues Forum, established in 2016, represents a total of 41 professional football league bodies around the world. Notable members include France’s LFP, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s LaLiga.