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Press Release & Data Hub | Published: 24 February 2026
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems were introduced to bring absolute clarity to football’s most crucial moments. Yet, midway through the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, the narrative is dominated not by clarity, but by the sheer volume of time evaporating while fans and players wait for a decision.
While official VAR errors have risen 30% season-on-season (from 10 to 13), total overturns have actually dropped by 17.54% (from 57 to 47). However, the core frustration for match-goers and broadcasters alike is the VAR Black Hole: the minutes permanently lost to forensic, frame-by-frame reviews.
🔍 Methodology: The KMI Panel & Time Tracking
To ensure a neutral and robust analysis, our data relies on two primary methodologies:
- Delay Time Metric: Calculated strictly from the moment the referee halts play for a VAR check to the exact second the ball re-enters play.
- Error Verification (The KMI Panel): All “errors” listed in this report are officially ratified by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel. Created in 2022 to take performance stats out of the hands of the refereeing body, the panel assesses if decisions align with how the Premier League expects games to be refereed.
- Panel Composition: The KMI Panel features five members: three former players/coaches, one Premier League representative, and one Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) representative. They vote on both the on-field decision and the VAR intervention based on the “clear and obvious” threshold.
1. The Time Drain: Minutes Lost & Ball-In-Play
The lengths of VAR checks are steadily increasing as officials attempt to avoid appearing on the KMI Panel’s error list. The pursuit of perfection is severely impacting the flow of the game.
Average VAR Delay by Top 5 European League
The knock-on effect of the VAR Black Hole is a direct reduction in the amount of actual football being played. Despite directives to add exact time on at the end of halves, average ball-in-play time continues to drop.
| Season (First Half) | Avg. Ball-in-Play Time | Total VAR Errors | Total Overturns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 54 min 30 sec | 13 | 47 |
| 2024-25 | 55 min 15 sec | 10 | 57 |
| 2023-24 | 56 min 02 sec | 20 | 62 |
| 2022-23 | 55 min 45 sec | 23 | 68 |
2. Club Impact: The Winners and Losers
Which clubs are suffering the most from the 13 verified VAR errors this season? Chelsea has gained the most from incorrect decisions, while clubs like Bournemouth, Brentford, and Manchester United have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong end of KMI Panel findings.
| Club | Errors Suffered (Against) | Errors Gained (For) | Net Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 0 | 3 | +3 |
| Newcastle | 0 | 2 | +2 |
| Arsenal | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Tottenham | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| West Ham | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Bournemouth | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Everton | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wolves | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Brighton | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Fulham | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Man City | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Brentford | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Man Utd | 2 | 0 | -2 |
3. The 13 Verified VAR Errors: Full Case Log
All but two of the 13 mistakes this season are missed interventions—instances where the VAR failed to advise the referee to change a clearly incorrect decision. Below is the complete, granular breakdown of every KMI-verified error this season, including the panel’s voting splits.
1. Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth
Marcos Senesi accidentally handled the ball but deliberately batted it away to stop Hugo Ekitike running through on goal. The referee deemed it not foul play. VAR Michael Oliver only reviewed the first accidental touch.
2. Chelsea 2-0 Fulham
Josh King scored to give Fulham the lead. Referee Rob Jones awarded the goal, but VAR Michael Salisbury wrongly ruled it out for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up. The VAR was subsequently stood down.
3. Wolves 2-3 Everton
Hugo Bueno went down under a challenge from Iliman Ndiaye. Referee Michael Oliver played on, and VAR Craig Pawson deemed there was not enough contact for a review.
4. Brentford 3-1 Man Utd
Nathan Collins pulled back Bryan Mbeumo to prevent a clear shot. Referee Craig Pawson gave a penalty but only a yellow card. VAR Andy Madley incorrectly agreed, claiming Mbeumo was not in control.
5. Chelsea 1-3 Brighton
Malo Gusto raised a high boot making clear contact with Yankuba Minteh’s head. Referee Simon Hooper saw no contact, and VAR Darren England felt there was no conclusive proof to overturn.
6. Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth
VAR correctly sent referee Jarred Gillett to the monitor for a DOGSO foul by Marcos Senesi on Ismaila Sarr. Gillett rejected the VAR advice and stuck to his yellow card, a final decision the panel ruled incorrect.
7. Brentford 3-1 Newcastle
Dan Burn tripped Dango Ouattara. Ouattara reacted theatrically, causing VAR Paul Tierney to dismiss the penalty claim. The panel was unanimous the on-field call was wrong, but split on the VAR error.
8. Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham
Max Kilman handled the ball on the ground, preventing Evanilson from shooting. Referee Thomas Bramall gave a penalty and yellow card. VAR Michael Oliver failed to upgrade it to a red for DOGSO.
9. Newcastle 2-1 Man City
Phil Foden released a shot and was caught late and recklessly by Fabian Schar. Neither the referee nor the VAR intervened, giving the defender too much latitude for a blocking collision.
10. Wolves 1-4 Man Utd
Emmanuel Agbadou leaned into a shot to block the ball with a straight arm. VAR Stuart Attwell did not send referee Michael Salisbury to the monitor.
11. Everton 0-1 Arsenal
William Saliba kicked Thierno Barry as they challenged for a bouncing ball. VAR Michael Salisbury deemed the contact insufficient to warrant an on-screen review.
12. Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
Malo Gusto jumped to head a cross, and the ball struck his outstretched arm. VAR Craig Pawson incorrectly determined the ball hit the ‘sleeve’ area rather than the handable red zone.
13. Brentford 0-0 Tottenham
Cristian Romero made a wild swipe, making no contact on the ball, bringing down Igor Thiago who was travelling towards goal. VAR Alex Chilowicz felt there was no clear and obvious error.
4. The ‘Clear and Obvious’ Grey Area
The KMI Panel also catalogues errors where the on-field referee made a mistake, but the incident did not meet the strict “clear and obvious” threshold for VAR to legally intervene. This season, there are 15 such on-field mistakes (up from 12 last season).
- Man City v Tottenham: Penalty not given for a foul on Oscar Bobb
- Brentford v Aston Villa: Goal disallowed for a push on Emiliano Martinez
- Arsenal v Leeds: Penalty given for a foul on Max Dowman
- Fulham v Man Utd: Goal awarded despite push on Calvin Bassey
- Sunderland v Brentford: Penalty not given for Reinildo holding Nathan Collins
- West Ham v Tottenham: Disallowed goal for a foul by Micky van de Ven
- Man City v Liverpool: Disallowed goal, Andrew Robertson offside and impacting
- Sunderland v Bournemouth: Penalty given for a foul on Reinildo
- Chelsea v Arsenal: Enzo Fernandez offside and impacting on Trevoh Chalobah goal
- Tottenham v Brentford: No Cristian Romero serious foul play red card
- Fulham v Crystal Palace: Penalty not given for challenge by Joachim Andersen
- Liverpool v Brighton: No serious foul play red card for Diego Gomez
- Newcastle v Chelsea: No penalty for challenge on Anthony Gordon
- Wolves v Brentford: Penalty award for foul by Caoimhin Kelleher
- Brentford v Tottenham: No penalty for a foul on Archie Gray
Missed Second Yellow Cards
VAR cannot intervene on second yellow cards. The KMI Panel ruled that the following five players incorrectly escaped a second caution and subsequent dismissal:
- Malick Thiaw for Newcastle at Bournemouth
- Andre for Wolves at Aston Villa
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka for West Ham at Manchester United
- Ruben Dias for Manchester City at Nottingham Forest
- *A fifth unlogged instance is noted in the panel’s aggregate data.
