How technology played an impact on the Premier League

The English Premier league has drawn to a close as Manchester City defended their title.

19:00 14 May 2019

It was a question of what could have been for Liverpool, as they will look back on that shot that appeared to be over the line in their clash with City earlier this season. Technology indicated that the ball had not completely crossed over the line, as they came agonisingly close to taking the lead in the game. They of course went on to lose the game 2-1, in what ended up being their only loss of the season.

Liverpool finished just one point behind City in what turned out to be one of the most memorable title races in history, with both teams pushing on record breaking numbers. This further indicates how important this loss was to them, which ultimately meant City won the title for the second year in succession. This has already led to them proving very popular amongst punters for the title next season with them using William Hill promotions, in which they are odds on favourites.

Another new technology used in the Premier league is VAR or (Video assistant referee). So what is this?

The Video assistant referee is an assistant referee who reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage. They can then communicate via a headset as to whether decisions should be reversed. As of 2018 this has now been written into the laws of the game, as it becomes implemented into major leagues across the world in the coming years. This including the Premier league which will be using VAR in all games as of next season.

There are four different types of calls that can be reviewed by VAR:

• Goals – This means whether there was a violation during the attacking phase of play which led to the goal being scored. This including fouls and an offside, which were not initially picked up from the on field officials.
  
  

• Penalties – All penalty decisions are reviewed for the likes of a potential offside.
  
  

• Red card – This covers only direct red card decisions. Meaning second yellow cards are not reviewable from VAR officials.
  
  

• Mistaken identity – This covers when the wrong player is awarded either a yellow or a red card by mistake from the on field officials.
  
  

VAR is now going to become more and more influential in football games around the world. This was shown at the recent World cup in Russia. This change is only going to be a positive for the future of football, as the correct decisions will be reached, meaning a greater chance for the better team to win each game.