Premier League to publish weekly reviews of VAR and refereeing decisions

The Premier League will publish the findings of its independent Key Match Incidents Panel on a weekly basis from the 2026/27 season as part of a wider move to increase transparency around refereeing and VAR decisions.

The league confirmed on Tuesday that the panel’s assessments will be made available through its official website and app, giving supporters direct access to judgments that had previously been shared with clubs and match officials but not routinely published in full.

The Key Match Incidents Panel was introduced during the 2022/23 season and reviews the most significant refereeing decisions from every round of Premier League fixtures. Its remit includes penalties, red cards, offside calls and other major incidents that fall within the referee’s authority.

The five-member panel is made up of three former players or coaches, alongside one representative from the Premier League and one from Pro Ref. Each major decision is assessed and ultimately judged correct or incorrect by the panel.

The Premier League is also expanding the information available through its Match Centre channels. For the first time, direct comments from on-field referees and VAR officials will be published in relation to major incidents, providing additional context around how and why decisions were reached.

In selected matches, the league also plans to release in-game audio captured by cameras worn by referees. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to make officiating processes more visible to supporters at a time when VAR and refereeing standards remain among the most closely scrutinised issues in English football.

The changes stop short of allowing full live broadcasts of conversations between match officials during games. The Premier League said it will continue working with Pro Ref to push IFAB, football’s law-making body, for greater freedom to broadcast officiating communications in real time.

The move represents a notable shift in the league’s approach to accountability. For several seasons, clubs have received detailed post-match feedback on contentious decisions, but supporters have often had to rely on media reports or partial explanations to understand how those incidents were evaluated internally.

By publishing the panel’s findings directly, the Premier League is effectively opening part of its refereeing review process to public scrutiny for the first time on a regular basis.

The new system will begin with the opening round of the 2026/27 campaign, when defending champions Arsenal face newly promoted Coventry City on Friday.