Premier League clubs have voted 19 to one to keep VAR next season.
The league confirmed there had been a vote in favour of continuing with the technology in 2024-25.
The PA news agency understands Wolves – who last month called the vote to scrap VAR – were ultimately the only club to back its abolition.
The Black Country club were understood to be adamant, even the day before the Premier League’s annual general meeting in Harrogate on Thursday, that they wanted a vote to take place, even though they anticipated a heavy defeat.
They said last month VAR had led to “numerous unintended consequences that are damaging the relationship between fans and football” and that the system was “undermining the Premier League brand”.
The Premier League, its clubs and referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) acknowledged that improvements needed to be made for the benefit of the game and supporters.
Semi-automated offside technology is set to be introduced in the autumn, which top-flight sources say will reduce the length of time required for offside checks, while in-stadium announcements will be made where an on-field decision is changed following a VAR intervention.
The Premier League said the “high threshold” for intervention would also be maintained and also hopes to improve the fan experience of VAR by offering big screen replays of all VAR interventions where possible.
The league said it would work with PGMOL on “more robust” training for officials to improve consistency, including an emphasis on speed while preserving accuracy. The league also promised “expanded communications” on VAR from its match centre and through continuing with programmes like Match Officials Mic’d Up.
The league said it will also continue to lobby the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the laws of the game, to allow live video and audio broadcast during VAR reviews.
Recent supporter surveys indicate strong opposition to VAR. A Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) poll of more than 16,000 Red Devils fans found less than one per cent were in favour of keeping VAR in its current form. More than half – 50.6 per cent – were not even prepared to countenance any attempt to keep VAR even if it could be improved.
