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ARTICLE · 20 OCTOBER 2023

VAR's "Significant Human Error": Exploring Liverpool's Legal Options

Shepherd and Wedderburn
Shepherd and Wedderburn
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In 2019, my colleague Alison Rochester noted in an article that "barely a week has gone by without the new Video Assistant Referee (VAR) causing controversy...

United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Robbie Callander
Robbie Callander
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In 2019, my colleague Alison Rochester noted in an article that "barely a week has gone by without the new Video Assistant Referee (VAR) causing controversy and creating talking points amongst professionals, pundits, and supporters alike".

More than two years on, the controversy surrounding VAR is greater than ever following VAR's "incomprehensible" intervention in an English Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on Saturday, 30 September. Liverpool have committed to "explore the range of options available".

We ask: what are these options and will anything change to improve VAR in the future?

The incident

After a player was sent off in the 27th minute, following VAR intervention, 10-man Liverpool scored through Luis Diaz in the 34th minute to lead Tottenham 1-0. The on-field assistant referee ruled the goal offside, resulting in a VAR check.

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