Premier League referee gives true feelings on VAR after Man Utd and Arsenal controversies

Premier League referee Craig Pawson remains a "big fan" of VAR but supports new technological changes that help give fans a better picture of what is going on. He recognises that the wider acceptance of video assistant referees has been a challenge in several countries, not just England, with some fans left frustrated by the speed of decisions, regardless of their other feelings about the technology.

Pawson has been involved in his share of contentious decisions, as will inevitably be the case with any official of his experience. He has taken charge of more than 250 Premier League matches—the first of those more than a decade ago—as well as games in the Champions League, Europa League, and World Cup qualifying.

Indeed, his most recent league game has got people talking, with the main topic of debate not being his decision to award Manchester United a penalty against Brentford, but rather the call to hand Nathan Collins a yellow and not a red card for conceding the kick. Whatever your opinion on the decision and contentious calls involving other officials, such as in Arsenal's dramatic win over Newcastle the very next day, the 46-year-old is still coming out to bat for VAR for a simple reason.

“With the introduction of VAR and the fact that now we're having stadium announcements, I think that's really good, because for the simple reason that obviously, I'm a big fan of VAR,” Pawson said at Genius Sports’ Intelligent Sports Summit in London. “I think it's a good thing because, as a referee, the last thing I want to do is make a mistake that impacts the game.

"Clearly, for the spectators in the stadium, though, they're often sometimes the last to know why my decision has been changed, and I think that could be quite frustrating. So I think that when we're now starting to explain the reasons behind it, I think we've massively improved.”

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He recognised it’s a balancing act, though, adding: “It's always a challenge as well, though, with technology, you don't want to reduce the speed of the game as well, and that's sometimes a bit of a frustration with the technology. So it's how do we get that balance that means that we get a better product, but not obviously, kind of changing the game too much, so the spectators are disappointed.”

There have been a number of ways in which technology has found its way into the game—in some cases alongside VAR and in others separate from it. Semi-automated offsides will (if all goes to plan) speed up what has previously been a time-consuming process and minimise stoppages, while ref-cam and in-stadium announcements are designed to give different benefits to match-going fans and those watching at home.

“I think the more we can share with the public and make them understand what it's like being on the field, and the fact that actually, the view you have as a referee is very different to what you see at home,” Pawson said. “Because I've done it myself, sometimes you sit at home, and think, gosh...

"It's obvious when you've got a camera from behind the goal or when you're chasing after players through six, seven, eight, nine players, you can't always see, you can't guess. So sometimes it's very challenging, and I think the more we can educate, the more we can make people aware of the challenges on the field. I think that's a real positive.”

Pawson also acknowledged there has been a level of pushback from some quarters. “Obviously, the acceptance of VAR, I think it's been quite a challenge in certain countries, particularly here [in England],” he added. “So I think wherever we can introduce technology that can improve the fan experience and make the decisions more understandable, those are real positives.”

Pawson says things have evolved a long way since he first took charge of a Premier League match back in 2013. This applies to referees’ preparations as well as what goes on behind the scenes. He and his colleagues are still subject to scrutiny, both in a professional capacity and from those simply watching games in the pub on a Saturday or Sunday, and every decision—right, wrong, or up for debate—comes after significant preparation.

“As the teams have evolved, there's a lot more analysis now on tactics and... the data behind things,” he said. “We study the teams, we study their tactics, clearly we're a little bit in the hands of the team, because what they do we have to react to in the situations that happen in the game.

“You can try and prepare as well as you possibly can for how a team plays, what they do on set plays, what they do on long throw-ins, what their tactics are on corners, but teams try to surprise each other as well. Clearly, if you try the same tactics week in, week out, you wouldn't be very successful.

“So you're trying to make sure that you're very well-prepared, but then also you're just ready to adapt in-game to evolve, trying to make sure you're obviously in the best physical condition, because the game is getting faster and faster every year, and the expectation, particularly in the Premier League, is that it is a very fast product.

“That's what people like about it, they like the passion, they like the speed of how the game is played. So it's important that we embody that, but we're refereeing and while we're taking control of the match, we obviously give the product that people want to see.

“In terms of how we're assessed, we make hundreds, thousands of decisions during the game, but primarily we're assessed on the big decisions. Red cards, penalties, key match decisions, we all like to describe them as.

“And we're assessed partly on a multitude of different avenues, really, because we've got officials in terms of delegates who are a former player or manager. They're in-stadium.

"We also have a key match incident panel, which is basically a group of ex-players and managers to look at our individual decisions and decide if they're right or wrong. Media, fans, the public, it goes on and on and on, so you're assessed by everyone, I suppose, to some extent.”

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