VAR errors increase: Each of the 13 mistakes so far this season

VAR System

Video assistant referee errors have risen in the first half of the Premier League season.

Data collected by BBC Sport taken from the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel shows mistakes have increased 30% season-on-season from 10 to 13.

It is still a marked improvement on previous years, with 20 errors at this stage of the 2023-24 campaign and 23 in 2022-23.

All but two of the mistakes are missed interventions, up from seven to 11, when the video assistant refereee (VAR) failed to advise the referee he should change a decision.

Incorrect interventions are down from three to two. But total overturns have also dropped from 57 in 2024-25 to 47 this season - a fall of 17.54%.

The KMI Panel also catalogues on-field mistakes which did not reach the clear and obvious threshold for VAR to intervene. There are also up from 12 to 15.

Here is every mistake this season across these categories.

How the KMI Panel works

The KMI Panel meets every week to dissect each decision, from goals to penalties to red cards.

It has five members: three former players and coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO).

The KMI Panel was created by the Premier League clubs in 2022 to take performance stats out of the hands of the refereeing body.

Crucially, it is not intended to look at each incident like any fan or manager would. It takes into account the laws of the game and, crucially, how the Premier League expects its games to be refereed.

That is why the list of errors will not be as extensive as supporters would expect.

The KMI Panel first looks at the decision of the on-field referee team, and then of the VAR.

As the VAR is operating to a higher threshold - clear and obvious - there are times when the KMI Panel will say the referee was wrong but the VAR was correct not to intervene.

The KMI Panel also considers second yellow cards which were missed, or incorrectly shown.

1. Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth: Senesi red card

The ball accidentally hit Marcos Senesi's arm but he then deliberately batted it away just as Hugo Ekitike was about to run through on goal. The referee did not show Senesi a card having deemed it to not be foul play.

The VAR, Michael Oliver, only looked at the first touch on the arm.

On-field vote: 1-4

VAR vote: 1-4

What the panel said: "There is a secondary action by Senesi, where he moves his arm to flick the ball away, which is a handball offence. The majority feel that this was an obvious goal-scoring opportunity."

2. Chelsea 2-0 Fulham: King's goal is disallowed

The game was goalless in the 21st minute when Josh King scored to give Fulham the lead.

Referee Rob Jones initially gave the goal. It was wrongly ruled out through a VAR review for a foul in the build-up by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah.

This was a high-profile error which led to the VAR, Michael Salisbury, being stood down from his next appointment.

On-field vote: 5-0

VAR vote: 0-5

What the panel said: "Muniz has possession and Chalobah tries to step in to win the ball. This contact is normal in the context of the skill Muniz was performing."

3. Wolves 2-3 Everton: Bueno denied a penalty

Hugo Bueno tried to jink back inside in the 70th minute, but went down under a challenge from Iliman Ndiaye.

Referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue and the VAR, Craig Pawson, decided there was not enough in it for a review.

Wolves trailed 3-1 at the time and could have got back into the game.

On-field vote: 1-4

VAR vote: 2-3

What the panel said: "Bueno turns back into Ndiaye who does not make any contact on the ball. The contact made is careless and the panel felt that a penalty should have been awarded."