In-stadium screen displays “Checking Penalty” during a VAR review at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester M11 3FF, home of Manchester City FC, England, UK.

A large in-stadium screen at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium displays “Checking Penalty” while a Video Assistant Referee review is under way, with supporters in the stands waiting to learn whether a penalty will be awarded. VAR was introduced to the Premier League for the 2019/20 season to correct clear and obvious errors in major match incidents, including goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity. Supporters see messages such as this on giant screens while officials at the VAR hub examine video replays and advise the referee. The system has improved decision accuracy: Premier League figures for 2024/25 said 86% of key match incidents were correct on the field, rising to 97% after VAR intervention. Yet VAR has remained one of modern football’s most divisive changes. Critics argue that lengthy checks interrupt the flow of matches, create uncertainty over whether goals can be celebrated, make subjective handball and foul decisions appear inconsistent, and leave spectators inside stadiums with less information than television viewers. The Football Supporters’ Association’s 2026 survey found 91.6% of respondents believed VAR had removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations, 90.6% said the match-going experience was not better with VAR and 94.7% disagreed that decisions were generally resolved in a reasonable time. In 2024 Premier League clubs nevertheless voted 19-1 to retain VAR while demanding improvements. Semi-automated offside technology, higher intervention thresholds, referee announcements and clearer stadium communication have since been introduced or expanded, with further work continuing in 2026/27 to reduce delays and explain decisions. The image therefore illustrates both football’s embrace of technology and the continuing debate over accuracy, fairness, interruption, transparency and whether VAR improves or diminishes the live match experience at Premier League grounds such as the Etihad Stadium across English football.