Wolves’ demand to remove VAR from next season is expected to be rejected at the Premier League meeting on Thursday.
The West Midlands side sparked an unusual vote by saying that “the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy, is at odds with the spirit of the game.”
It will come to a head during a shareholders’ meeting in Harrogate, attended by representatives from all 20 Premier League teams next season. Wolves need 13 other clubs to vote in favor of ditching the technology, but the Telegraph reports that this is improbable.
Manchester United, Liverpool, and West Ham are among the clubs who believe the system should continue, albeit with adjustments.
One adjustment to the system has already been revealed for the 2024-25 season.
Semi-automated offsides will be adopted, with the goal of reducing the average duration of a VAR offside assessment by 30 seconds.
The technology is already utilized in the Champions League and Serie A, so faulty calls like Luis Diaz’s offside for Liverpool versus Tottenham would not have occurred.
According to the Telegraph, clubs will be briefed on a contract reached with American software startup Second Spectrum, which utilizes artificial intelligence and a chip in the ball to detect when attackers are ahead of defenders.
Other potential system enhancements and changes will be explored during the conference.
Last season, Wolves faced a number of VAR rulings that went against them, the most prominent being when a penalty was not awarded for Manchester United’s Andre Onana colliding with Sasa Kalajdzic in late time of a 1-0 loss.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, the Premier League announced: “The Premier League can confirm it will facilitate a discussion on VAR with our clubs at the annual general meeting next month.” Clubs are free to make suggestions at shareholder meetings, and we understand the concerns and challenges surrounding the usage of VAR.
However, the league firmly supports the use of VAR and continues to work with PGMOL [Professional Game Match Officials Limited] to improve the system for the benefit of both the game and fans.
The Premier League shareholders’ meeting will also include discussions about squad cost controls and a potential spending cap.
According to the Telegraph, teams would be given the option of testing new systems before implementing them permanently.
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