Referees in the Championship were on the mark this year, getting 85% of key decision correct across the 2023/24 season according to an independent EFL-led review.
The key match incidents (KMI) panel set up by the EFL scrutinised 1,592 calls, finding 85.6% of key decision to have been made correctly, according to the Press Association (via BristolLive). The Championship is one of the most notable leagues in the world to still not employ VAR.
Penalties, red cards, a second yellow card, preventing a goal scoring opportunity, offside judgements leading to goals and goals themselves all make up the key match incidents that are reviewed by the KMI panel.
The panel is made up of seven members, including former players and coaches, plus one member of the EFL and the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL). The group was set up at the start of this season to impose further accountability on match officials and improve how officiating is undertaken.
This data comes in the same week that Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers have demanded a vote on the discontinuation of VAR in England’s top-flight. Many clubs, fans and coaches are becoming increasingly frustrated with the technology that was brought in to make refereeing fairer and more consistent.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke demonstrated his discontent in a press conference earlier this week as he said: “I have 12 apologising letters at home already during the season with offside goals and penalties not given.
“If we would’ve used VAR during this season, we wouldn’t be in the play-offs. We would’ve been promoted automatically. Because we’re playing at the top level, small details make a difference. It changes the whole picture here.”
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick questioned how hard VAR would be to implement in the Championship while Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca called for its introduction in January.
The release of these statistics did show that although on average around five key decisions had been called incorrectly per gameweek that no club had benefitted or been disadvantaged as a net average across the season.
Despite scepticism from many fans, the KMI panel in the Premier League, which was introduced in the 2022/2023 season, concluded that 96% of decisions made in England’s top division were correct, rising 14% since the introduction of VAR in 2019/2020.
Nevertheless, the majority of EFL fans do not want VAR in their leagues as per a 2024 EFL supporters’ survey that showed an average of 72 per cent across the three leagues were against the introduction of the technology.
Writer’s View
VAR is a hot topic currently in the English football pyramid and this season feels like things could be reaching boiling point. There are obvious pro and cons that come with the technology and there are two paths that the powers that be can embark on.
Either they push on with VAR and iron out the mistakes that continue to plague it, or it is removed completely and tossed aside as an unsuccessful experiment. The former will continue to irritate fans while the latter would be considered a huge waste of money and time.
As for the Championship, it should enjoy its freedom from the overarching purple screens of doom that cause much angst to fans on matchdays for as long as it can. Even with such stern support against its introduction, 15% of key decisions being found to be called wrong is still an unacceptable margin of error.
With Championship managers questioning the introduction of VAR and the Premier League’s recent statement of commitment to the technology, it is more likely that the Championship will see a belated arrival of VAR before the Premier League ever disposes of it.