Arabic version: ويب يدعم قرار تقنية الفيديو بشأن تدخل بوتمان

According to BBC News, Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has backed the decision not to use VAR to upgrade Sven Botman’s yellow card for a challenge on Nicolas Jackson to a red card. Webb described the incident as a “high-end reckless challenge” but said the video assistant referee was right not to overturn the on-field call.

Newcastle centre-back Botman was booked by referee Jarred Gillett in the 18th minute of Saturday’s match after going strongly and over the top of the ball. Botman made contact with Jackson using his trailing leg. Gillett said the tackle was reckless despite Botman getting a touch on the ball.

VAR Stuart Attwell supported the caution, judging there was no secondary scissor action and that contact was not made with the studs. Webb said VAR should not re-referee subjective decisions, but should intervene when an on-field decision is clearly wrong. He said a different outcome could have followed if there had been strong stud contact to Jackson’s ankle or shin, or a closing of the scissor action.

Webb added that VAR would also have accepted a red card if Gillett had issued one, calling the episode an example of the Premier League’s lighter-touch approach. He said referees should retain ownership of decisions while VAR steps in only when there is something “clearly really wrong.”

Aston Villa won 1-0 through Johan Manzambi’s 36th-minute goal. After seven rounds of Premier League matches, there have been 21 VAR interventions, including nine subjective ones. At the same stage last season, there had been three interventions and none were subjective.