- Refereeing body ‘step up attempts’ to attract new VAR officials amid shortage
- Current officials ‘overworked’ and ‘afraid of backlash’ against wrong decisions
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The PGMOL are advertising for new VAR officials amid a shortage of qualified referees, according to reports.
The lack of referees comes at a time when top-flight officials have never been under more pressure.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta called the current standard of officiating ’embarrassing’ after his side were beaten by a controversial Anthony Gordon goal at Newcastle last weekend.
This followed Liverpool suggesting their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham should have been replayed after a Luis Diaz goal was wrongly ruled out for offside.
Both clubs involved issued statements demanding reform, and further criticism has been offered by Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.
There was also scrutiny following Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Tottenham on Monday, with a single VAR delay taking more than seven minutes at one stage in a game that stretched to almost 112 minutes.
But now referees’ chief Howard Webb is looking to add numbers to his VAR staff to improve the performance of his officials, according to the Sun.
The report suggests that an advert has been circulated among qualified officials to encourage them to become ‘specialist VAR staff’, with no previous experience using the video technology required.
The job description outlines that potential candidates should ‘provide clear communication under pressure’, and also be ‘capable of self-reflection on how they performed’.
It continues by saying they should be able to ‘identify when VAR needs to intervene’ and adds that candidates should have the ‘ability to focus and have great communication skills’.
It is also suggested that VAR officials are currently taking longer to make decisions because of the potential backlash against making an incorrect call, with many also feeling overworked due to the lack of VAR qualified colleagues.
This weekend, four referees are working on both Saturday and Sunday.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
