Referee makes “monumental mistake” as new guidelines effect the Premier League

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze scored what looked to be an early contender for goal of the season in the Eagles' 2-1 loss to Brentford on the first weekend of the new Premier League season. However, an errant whistle from referee Sam Barrott overruled the goal in controversial circumstances.

Barrott whistled for a foul on Palace's Will Hughes as Eze was delivering a free-kick that ended up in the back of the net with referees told to watch out for contact from attacking players on defenders at set pieces in a new crackdown, pundits for Sky Sports suggested even though there was contact, no foul was committed.

Jamie Redknapp described Barrott's decision as a “monumental mistake,” with the decision potentially costing Palace at least a point.

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For his part, Barrott seems to have accepted he made a mistake, with Eze telling Match of the Day, “I was told [by the referee] that he blew too early and made the mistake,” which is all anyone can hope for. Palace's manager Oliver Glasner called Barrott a “great man” for admitting his error.

The incident also proved to be one of the first to showcase the new VAR changes ahead of the season, read on to learn more!

The controversial Video Assistant Referee system in the Premier League has been given an overhaul, with changes introduced ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 season. Some fans are concerned the changes aren’t going to help the confusion from previous years.

The biggest change comes via a new account on X (formerly Twitter) called, @PLMatchCentre, ahead of the season with the aim to provide live updates on refereeing decisions from matches. 

The account was announced with a statement reading, “For the first time, the social media account will provide near-live explainers and updates on operational and officiating matters for every Premier League match.”

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The announcement continued, “The account will post factual explanations of on-pitch refereeing decisions and the involvement of the video assistant referee (VAR) including the role of technology in the decision-making process.”

Palace's overruled goal was explained on the X account, with the VAR team posting, “The referee awards a free-kick to Brentford for a foul by Hughes on Collins. The whistle was blown before the ball entered the goal so VAR cannot intervene and the referee’s call stands.” At least in this instance, everyone understands the mistake that was made.

The account fills the void of live audio being broadcast between the on-pitch referees and the VAR team, as that is currently banned in football. Last season, we saw several controversial incidents where the audio was released after the fact in an attempt to explain why an error had occurred.

Some fans have got behind the change, with one writing, “Finally! This is a big step forward,” on X, per The Daily Mail. For others, there is less positivity around the move.

However, another fan wrote, “Cannot wait for the updates on bad VAR decisions and apologies,” suggesting they don’t believe the new account will bring any significant changes.

Perhaps the most succinct summary of what may happen with the new account came via X user @beewol, who wrote, “Let the chaos begin. This should be fun.”

Last season, when VAR audio was released, it only added confusion to the officiating process, with numerous voices speaking at once and a seemingly incomprehensible hierarchy of decision-makers.

On the other hand, many issues arose from fans not having a clear understanding of why a decision was made, especially if they are at the match. The new account will at least provide (in theory) explanations in those scenarios… if there’s signal at the stadium, that is!

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