Video assistant referee causes controversy every week no matter who it is Premier League, Champions League Or fa cupBut how are decisions taken and are they right?
This season, we’ll take a look at key events to examine and explain the process in terms of both VAR protocol and the laws of the game.
Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee with over 12 seasons on the elite list, officiating in the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has worked within the VAR area in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, logic and protocols provided on a Premier League match day.
Ref: Paul Tierney
wise: John Brooks
Event: lisandro martinez red card
Man United’s Lisandro Martínez is shown a red for violent conduct against Leeds after VAR intervention. pic.twitter.com/GMstoLWC6I
– NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) 13 April 2026
What happened: What initially appeared to be an innocuous aerial challenge Manchester United defender martinez and leeds united striker Dominic Calvert-LewinWhich resulted in the defender being sent off for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair after a VAR review.
Credit: Sky Sports
Why was it a red card: Following a new directive this season, referees have been asked to enforce a strict limit whenever hair is pulled. This action is considered a non-football action and is not acceptable in a normal challenge. In fact, this should be considered violent conduct and sanctioned with a red card.
An example was set in Premier League When? everton guard Michael Keane The Wolves striker was penalized for a similar foul on Tolu Arokodare Back in January.
However, in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, armory‘S Katie McCabe He wasn’t punished when he apparently pulled hair. chelsea player alyssa thompson. Neither the on-field refereeing team nor VAR recognized the incident as a red-card offence, and the Arsenal player did not receive a punishment.
Credit: ESPN
Decision: Given the current guidance from PGMOL and Premier LeagueThe decision to send Martínez off was the right one, although United boss Michael Carrick later said it was the right “One of the worst he’s ever seen.”
The amount of time referee Tierney spent on screen suggests he was slightly uncomfortable with the final decision to make a red card, as the level of contact was negligible, but PGMOL and league instructions do not contemplate this.
The increase in such incidents in recent seasons has forced the authorities to send a strong message that such acts will be dealt with zero tolerance. Although this stance is unlikely to change over the remainder of the season, I expect some discussion over the summer on this topic and whether officials should continue a zero-tolerance policy.
The Women’s Champions League incident was a clear error because, regardless of any new instructions advised to match officials, the action in itself met all the criteria for violent conduct.
The actions taken by McCabe were deliberate, forceful and, in my opinion, should have been identified by the on-field referee and fourth official. The lack of intervention by VAR was particularly disappointing and difficult to understand; It was a clear red-card offence, and armory The player should have been sent out.
