The officials at the centre of VAR controversy following Liverpool’s disallowed goal against Tottenham Hotspur have been selected to take part in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.
In September, Luis Diaz saw a goal wrongly ruled out for offside with VAR Darren England and assistant VAR Dan Cook failing to overrule the on-field decision in what PGMOL would later call a “significant human error”.
England and Cook were subsequently stood down from officiating duties the following week and were taken off the Nottingham Forest vs Brentford and Fulham vs Chelsea games.
But England has been reinstated as a fourth official for this weekend’s encounter between Brentford and Burnley on Saturday.
Cook, meanwhile, will be an assistant to referee Michael Oliver for Manchester United’s trip to Sheffield United on Saturday night.
The audio of the conversations between England and Cook over Diaz’s disallowed goal was made public, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp later suggesting he wants the game with Tottenham to be replayed.
Following the error, PGMOL, the body responsible for referees in English football, changed the VAR process.
A new protocol aimed at improving the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team regarding on-field decisions has been implemented.
Video match officials have also been reminded that while decision-making efficiency is essential, it should never compromise accuracy.
In addition to the existing process, the VAR is now required to confirm the outcome of the VAR check with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials.
PGMOL, alongside the Premier League, has committed to a regular release of in-game audio of on-field officials and VAR teams throughout this season.
GO DEEPER
Liverpool VAR error audio made public - full transcript
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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