There is good reason for the frustration surrounding the decision not to implement the semi-automatic offside technology (SAOT) in the Premier League next season. The decision was made that instead four additional VAR cameras will be brought in to the every top-flight ground instead.
In short, with the SAOT in place at the game between Arsenal and Brentford which Ivan Toney equalised in that turned out to have been an error by Lee Mason - a mistake that would see him leave his job - this would not have happened. The same for the Brighton, Liverpool and Wolves.
The reason given for the omission from the technology is the Premier League feel it will advance so much in the short term implementing it now is simply not worth it. It might seem remiss to make the assumption that an organisation as wealthy as the Premier League should surely be doing all they can to improve the standard of the game as soon as they can.
More needs to be done to prevent more apologies from the head of PGMOL Howard Webb like this after the weekend that saw both the Gunners and Brighton have goals wrongly given and ruled out respectively: “PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday.
“Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”
Who knows what could have happened had Brentford’s goal been rightly ruled out and instead, Arsenal went on to win with their one-goal lead. It could have changed the complexion of the title race considering the Gunners’ next game was to host soon-to-be again champions Manchester City.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Rice offer, Caicedo bid sanctioned, Nico Williams scouted
The bright side is at least something is being done, the four cameras will hopefully lower the mistakes. But again, the SAOT system removes them entirely.
Too many errors are being made from an officiating standpoint in the “best league in the world” or so it’s claimed. But the likes of La Liga have already brought SAOT in as have both UEFA and the creators FIFA.
This seems like a step in the right direction on paper when looking solely at the introduction of additional cameras, but contextually the Premier League has been overtaken by other leagues and organisations when it comes to the efficiency of decision-making for offside calls. In short, fans will have to wait a bit longer until these errors can be eradicated.
READ NEXT:
The truth about Edu and Arsenal transfer failures as £213.5m Liverpool myth exposed amid exits
Arsenal's Declan Rice summer the last of its kind as Stan Kroenke wants a self-sufficient future
