A recent YouGov survey has revealed that fewer than one in five Premier League fans support the complete removal of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, even though a majority believe it continues to function inadequately. Introduced in the 2019-20 season, VAR remains a contentious issue, with Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham recently advocating for its abolition.
According to the poll, only 18% of 434 adults who watch Premier League matches regularly agreed with Burnham's stance. The prevailing sentiment, held by 68% of respondents, is to retain the system but implement changes to its usage. Meanwhile, 12% are satisfied with the current technology without modifications.
Despite this, negative perceptions of VAR persist. 59% of regular viewers feel the system has performed poorly, a figure unchanged from a YouGov survey conducted two years ago. Additionally, nearly three-quarters (72%) believe VAR has diminished the enjoyment of watching matches.
Support for VAR remains strongest in specific scenarios, such as offside calls, red card decisions, penalties, and goal-line technology. However, nearly 60% of fans think VAR has operated poorly when determining penalties, and just over half express similar dissatisfaction with red card foul assessments.
These findings contrast with a Football Supporters' Association survey from two months ago, which found that three-quarters of Premier League fans oppose VAR entirely. In that survey, over 97% disagreed that VAR made watching football more enjoyable, and more than 90% felt it did not improve the match-going experience.
A Premier League spokesperson previously acknowledged the league's recognition of the need to minimize VAR's impact on supporter experience, while asserting that the system delivers more correct decisions.
