The KNVB concludes that despite the presence of VAR, 26 errors were made in Eredivisie arbitration last season. That number is similar to recent seasons.
These 26 errors concern referee decisions on whether or not to give a red card, whether or not to award a penalty, the validity of a goal, or the misidentification of players. Without VAR, that would have been 107 errors.
A key point for refereeing affairs manager Raymond van Meenen last season was that the VAR had to be more restrained.
The VAR had to be a safety net for the referee after a clear error, instead of having a supportive role.
This led to fewer VAR moments in the Eredivisie (an average of 1 per 2.9 Eredivisie matches), but initially also to more errors. Referees had difficulty with the shift, the KNVB concludes.
Only one mistake in the last five rounds of play
Around the winter break, many mistakes were suddenly made. For example, Fortuna Sittard played against sc Heerenveen with twelve players for a short time, and a goal from PEC Zwolle from a corner was disallowed for offside, while there can be no offside on a corner.
“If you look at the number of mistakes that were made in a short time then, we cannot be satisfied,” said Van Meenen on Wednesday at a press moment in Zeist. “What I am satisfied with is the recovery that was shown afterwards.”
Van Meenen was referring to the fact that relatively few errors have been made since Eredivisie matchday 21. In the last five rounds of play, only one incorrect decision was made. “We have recovered well, I am satisfied with that,” said Van Meenen. “In the period that the Eredivisie was most exciting, the most good decisions were made.”
The objective for next season is that things will be calmer around the arbitration. In addition, Van Meenen wants the number of errors to decrease, even though that number has been stable for years.