75% of football fans don’t want VAR as technology is branded a “joy killer”

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For years, video assistant referees (VAR) have been a source of debate, but football fans have now overwhelmingly expressed their opposition to the technology in the sport.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology launched in 2018 to improve the fairness and speed of the game. Since then, the rules around its use have evolved, and VAR now helps officials make decisions on a wide range of plays – including penalties, offsides, handballs, fouls that put players at risk, and whether the ball has fully crossed the goal line.

It’s debatable whether it’s worked out well. If you ask most football fans, they’d likely say it hasn’t – and a recent survey of Premier League fans confirms that’s exactly how they feel.

VAR gets scathing review from football fans

A recent survey by the Football Supporters’ Association of nearly 8,000 Premier League fans revealed that a large majority – 75.7% – are unhappy with the use of VAR, primarily because it slows down the game. Journalist Henry Winter reports that fans feel VAR is ruining their enjoyment of football and many want to see it removed.

Almost all fans – 92% – feel that VAR has taken the joy out of celebrating goals. And a large majority of those who attend games in person – 85% – strongly believe that the technology hasn’t made football more enjoyable.

A recent poll found that 86% of fans worry that Video Assistant Referees (VAR) might start making even more decisions in games, going beyond their current role.

A recent poll of Premier League fans reveals widespread dissatisfaction with VAR. According to the Football Supporters’ Association survey of 7,946 people, 75% don’t believe VAR should be used. Fans describe it as time-consuming, overly detailed, and ruining the enjoyment of the game. These findings have been shared with the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMO). Furthermore, an overwhelming 92% of fans surveyed…

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) March 29, 2026

Despite the challenges, there’s good news to share. An overwhelming majority – 93% of fans surveyed – expressed satisfaction with goal-line technology. This system quickly and accurately helps referees determine if the ball has fully crossed the goal line.

A significant 58% of people support continuing the practice of referees explaining their calls and reasoning directly to fans using the stadium microphones.

Nearly half of fans (47.2%) think a good way to improve VAR would be to let teams challenge calls, but limit each team to just one challenge per game.

VAR issues are the same as five years ago

Commenting on the results, Thomas Concannon, the Premier League network manager for the FSA, pointed out that similar issues were identified in a survey conducted in 2021.

He explained that most fans still feel the same way after five years: celebrating goals feels less natural, and going to matches isn’t as enjoyable as it used to be.

We’ve sent the survey results to the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, and we’re eager to talk about what we found with them.

It’s still uncertain if VAR will be removed, but these figures clearly show how strongly fans feel about it.

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2026-03-30 23:19