Study finds VAR monitors should be placed far away from fans

VAR monitors should be moved away from fans to prevent any potential home team bias, suggests a new study.

Premier League referees currently consult pitch-side screens when there is a review during matches.

But scientists who conducted an analysis of VAR decisions during more than 1,500 English Premier League (EPL) matches said any potential bias would be removed by moving the monitor inside the tunnel, away from supporters.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, showed that Premier League refs overturn 95% of their decisions following VAR reviews.

But detailed analysis of video-assisted, pitch-side reviews suggests factors such as crowd size and the score were not statistically linked to the decision.

The controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol allows refs to overturn certain calls during a match after consulting replay footage on a pitch-side monitor.

Evidence suggests that VAR has boosted the accuracy of decisions.

But it has been heavily criticized by many fans with concerns over consistency and the impact on enjoyment of the match.

To reduce that possibility, the research team suggests the monitor could be relocated away from the pitch, but the referee could still be recorded during the review process for transparency.

Walker said: "Our study is the first to evidence the prevalence of decision-making during the VAR protocol, whether that is overturning or maintaining decisions.

"We found that referees overturn their decisions 95% of the time when at the monitor.

"This is in part due to the reason they are being sent to the monitor is due to a potential error."

He added: "Interestingly, maintain decisions were more prevalent when related to the home team, which could be due to the location of the pitch-side monitor often positioned in front of home supporters.

"Moving the monitor to inside the tunnel, away from supporters but still televised may be a sensible compromise."

The post Study finds VAR monitors should be placed far away from fans appeared first on Talker.

Talker News

This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 2:01 PM.