British Airways pilots have been brought in to assist with the improvement of communication among Premier League officials during VAR reviews, according to a report by The Times. This decision comes after Liverpool had a goal incorrectly disallowed earlier in the season due to a mistake.
During a presentation to top-flight officials, pilots Chris Heaven and Pete Nataraj emphasized the importance of clear and accurate communication, with minimal syllables and no informal language, as reported by The Times on Friday.
In a September match against Tottenham, Liverpool’s Luis Diaz had a goal disallowed for offside after a chaotic miscommunication between the VAR and assistant VAR, Darren England and Dan Cook, and the on-field referee Simon Hooper.
The decision making process and the language used by the officials during the incident audio were met with severe criticism. Phrases such as “well done boys” and “cheers, mate” were used, further highlighting the need for improved communication.
The 45-minute presentation focused on the similarity of the roles and the importance of filtering out distractions in order to maintain complete clarity.
Following the Diaz incident, a full review of VAR procedures was ordered to address the issues that arose.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Davis)
