The Carabao Cup to Trial In-Stadium VAR Announcements

The Carabao Cup semi-finals will mark the first time referees in England announce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions inside stadiums. This announcement will be part of a trial, starting with the first leg of the EFL competition between Arsenal and Newcastle and Tottenham and Liverpool, set for January 7 and 8, 2025. The trial will include decisions made after a review at the pitchside VAR monitor or on factual matters like accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside offences.

The system is already common in sports like rugby union and American football and was trialled during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The Premier League had previously discussed introducing in-game VAR announcements and has now taken the step to implement this in the Carabao Cup. PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) has said that the decision to announce VAR calls is part of its “commitment to transparency,” aiming to provide greater clarity for fans about key decisions.

Referees have been preparing for this change in training camps, and the officials for the matches will be announced soon. While the Premier League has shared near-live explanations of VAR decisions on X (formerly Twitter) this season, this will mark the first time fans will hear spoken announcements inside stadiums. However, the announcements will not include real-time audio of VAR discussions or insights into the decision-making process.

This step follows earlier trials in EFL competitions such as in 2018 to test VAR before its Premier League introduction. Although Howard Webb, head of refereeing at PGMOL would like to explore further transparency, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has not supported real-time audio of discussions. Despite these limitations, this marks an important first step towards greater transparency in English football.