Are Premier League referees getting worse

When VAR was introduced, I think we were all expecting an end to some of the shambolic decision making we’d seen from Premier League referees over the years.

VAR was supposed to provide clarity, help referees and make the game easier to understand and follow for everyone involved.

Personally, I have no problem with waiting if we get to the right decision in the end.

But since its introduction, it has become clear that there is a very human element to VAR.

This weekend has thrown referees straight back into the hot seat after Kevin Friend’s shocking decision to award Liverpool a game-changing penalty in their 3-1 win against Crystal Palace.

He decided on second viewing after being told to look at the incident again by video assistant referee Craig Pawson.

It was an incorrect decision, with the replay clearly showing that the ball was gone and that Diogo Jota moved directly into Palace keeper Vicente Guaita’s path.

It wasn’t the only poor decision in that game, and it’s sparked an onslaught of abuse aimed both at Friend and VAR.

So, is the problem VAR, or is the quality of Premier League refereeing declining in general?

Is VAR the problem here?

I think VAR would be vindicated if Friend had awarded a penalty, then stuck with the decision after watching it again.

It would be entirely Friend’s fault for practically handing The Reds a decisive penalty in that scenario.

But the fact that Pawson called it back in the first place makes VAR partly responsible.

What makes the decision even more ridiculous is that on two occasions, when Palace were the side in possession, the referee made a swift and decisive decision rather than allowing VAR to have its say.

The first case came from Liverpool’s second goal, where Roberto Firmino appeared to be offside and occupying two defenders in the build-up.

The second was a case of Christian Benteke being immediately given offside in a great position despite being onside and despite linesmen often playing advantage during tight offside decisions this season.

So clearly, the issue is less VAR itself and more the human element of VAR.

If the operator doesn’t get it right, then having video assistance can be just as confusing as not having it.

Are referees the problem?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a metric to measure the quality of refereeing.

We as fans have to judge with our eyes and allow certain referees to build up good or bad reputations at our clubs over time.

But I think there’s a growing concern that refereeing in England is getting worse and worse.

Former Premier League manager Neil Warnock has responded, with the former Palace manager saying that Friend’s decision was another example of the bias towards big clubs.

Warnock himself has been on the wrong side of crucial decisions pre-VAR, most famously in his Cardiff City side’s 2-1 defeat against Chelsea that all but relegated them back in 2019.

But his opinion hasn’t changed, and he thinks referees now use VAR to favour the top sides.

Referees also seem to get decisions that don’t even require VAR wrong consistently.

This was just one example of a series of shocking decisions across the division.

Be it Thiago Silva’s blatant dive in the build-up to a ruled out Harry Kane goal in the game between Tottenham or Chelsea or Allan Saint-Maximin not being awarded a penalty against Leeds; several clubs were hard done by this weekend.

How can we make things better?

In the professional game, referees should be open to some scrutiny from fans, pundits and players.

I’m a firm believer that football is a pantomime, and because it’s within the safety of a policed and well-run sporting event, I see nothing wrong with booing a Premier League referee.

Sadly though, I believe that the quality of refereeing is in such a state of decline because fans and players often cross the line, particularly in the grassroots game.

Research suggests more than 90% of grassroots referees have experienced abuse, and there are fears the treatment of officials at the grassroots level could be causing some to leave the sport for good.

Fewer referees will inevitably lead to a decline in quality, with the Kent FA reporting a near 25% drop in officials between the 2020/21 and the 2021/22 seasons.

Likewise, Worcestershire FA listed a string of incidents, banned two teams and called for change.

It’s not like referees haven’t been promoting this issue for nearly a decade, with numerous red flags being raised in that time.

But it appears thuggery and the abuse of match officials has sadly become part of the culture of men’s grassroots football.

Maybe if we want a higher standard of officiating, we first need to treat officials at all levels with a bit more respect.

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