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Premier League referee and VAR audio will be made public for first time next week

Premier League referee and VAR audio will be made public for first time next week

The dialogue between Premier League referees and the VAR will be made public next week, in a groundbreaking move.

Audio involving Premier League referees and VAR officials will be made public next week in a revolutionary move.

Currently broadcasters have access to the conversations between the officials in the English top flight but until now fans have not.

It's been seen in other leading leagues and been well received for providing explanations as to why certain VAR decisions have been made in terms of penalties, red cards and offsides.

In addition, it has humanised referees and given a fascinating insight into their work on the pitch.

Howard Webb, who is head of the PGMOL and tasked with improving the standard of refereeing, is set to appear on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football for Liverpool's visit of Leicester City.

In addition, the Daily Star reports that there will also be a special 30-minute programme whereby fans will hear dialogue between referees and those at Stockley Park.

It's said that the show will essentially serve as a pilot, with Webb, who has apologised for a slew of incorrect calls this term, slated to run through things in a bid for ultimate transparency.

Exchanges amongst the refs have been a hot topic for a while now and Webb recently revealed his desire to grant a new type of access.

Image: Alamy
Image: Alamy

It was mentioned that governing body IFAB wanted the audio to be made available afterwards and not live, but the 2010 World Cup final referee is even hopeful of the stadium hearing discussions over the tannoy much like in cricket and rugby.

"We’re doing everything we can to be as transparent as we can,” he told talkSPORT.

"But there’s some parameters that we have to work within that FIFA set, but we’re going to push those.

“We’re going to do everything we can to draw the curtain back, we’re going to do some stuff post-game that’s not been done before fairly soon and then if we can do stuff in-game we’ll do it.

“We’ll see what we can do post-game, even in-game with the stadium audience, that’s certainly my intention and hopefully you’ll see some developments in the coming weeks.

“We’ve started showing broadcasters how good the communication is and that’s been really well received, we want to give that to the public and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see it.

"It’s quite tough in the stadium to get that narrative out in the more complex situations but we need to do everything we can to have the stadium audience go along with us because when you show the rationale for a decision, you might still disagree with it but when you understand it you’re much more likely to accept it."

Image: Alamy
Image: Alamy

The programme is to be available to watch through the Premier League’s various broadcast partners and could act as a precursor to audio being released on a regular basis starting from next season.

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports & Alamy

Topics: Premier League, VAR