Fewer than one in five Premier League fans want the video assistant referee (VAR) to be scrapped even if most believe the system is still working badly, the latest YouGov survey has found.
Fewer than one in five Premier League fans want the video assistant referee (VAR) to be scrapped even if most believe the system is still working badly, the latest YouGov survey has found.
May 29, 2026, 06:57 AM ET
Introduced in the 2019-20 season, VAR remains a hot-button issue, with Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham saying recently he wants it removed entirely.
According to YouGov, just 18% of 434 adults who watch Premier League football matches at least fairly regularly agreed with him.
The more widely held view is to keep the system but make changes to how it is used, favoured by 68% of those surveyed, with 12% happy to keep using the technology without any modifications.
However, there remains an overall negative perception of VAR, with 59% feeling it has worked poorly, unchanged from the last YouGov survey on the system two years ago.
Almost three-quarters (72%) of regular viewers think VAR has made watching games less enjoyable.
While tweaks are desired, most support VAR being used in instances of offside, determining red cards and penalties and whether the ball has crossed the goal line.
But nearly six in 10 believe VAR has operated poorly when deciding whether a penalty should be awarded, while just over half feel the same about instances of red card fouls.
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