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Howard Webb, PGMOL and the Premier League are opening up discussions between the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for key incidents this season.
In this latest instalment of “Match Officials Mic’d Up” in 2024/25, Howard Webb, chief operating officer at PGMOL, the organisation that oversees the League’s match officials, has discussed six recent incidents.
The idea is to go through the conversations between the match officials to give fans a greater knowledge of how decisions are made.
The officials on the pitch do not hear all the conversations from the VAR hub in Stockley Park.
Amongst the six recent incidents that Howard Webb has dissected, are two key ones involving Newcastle United.
Premier League official site – 8 October 2024:
Everton’s penalty appeal against Newcastle
Incident:
Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin goes down following a challenge from Newcastle United’s Dan Burn.
What the match officials did:
Referee Craig Pawson does not award a penalty to Everton. VAR officials Chris Kavanagh and Harry Lennard back up Pawson’s decision and say that Calvert-Lewin kicks Burn’s calf.
Howard Webb:
“I don’t think it’s a penalty either. I think it’s a really good on-field judgment as well. We see that Nick Pope makes a save and the ball rebounds and then two players, Calvert-Lewin and Burn, are moving towards that loose ball.
“Importantly, Burn moves in a straight line in a normal way and gets his foot in front of Calvert-Lewin. He doesn’t deviate his foot into Calvert-Lewin or move towards him in that way.
“Of course we see Calvert-Lewin then swinging to take a shot and making contact with Burn from behind, but Burn’s foot is already there in a pretty normal way so I don’t think it’s a foul by Burn and I think it’s all a normal coming-together between the two players and a good judgment on the field.”
Newcastle’s penalty against Man City
Incident:
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon is brought down in the penalty area by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.
What the match officials did:
Referee Jarred Gillett awards a penalty to Newcastle and issues a yellow card to Ederson for denial of a goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO). After review, the VAR confirms the on-field decision.
Howard Webb:
“On balance yes [it was a penalty], but it’s the archetypal ‘referee’s call’ because I can see how this could go either way on the field. When a goalkeeper goes to ground, doesn’t play the ball and there’s contact, I think the goalkeeper is asking for trouble.
“There is certainly contact in this situation, Gordon doesn’t seek the contact, he doesn’t extend his foot out to the right to make the contact, maybe he lets it happen. He’s moving at pace and it only takes a little bit of contact I guess to cause you to lose your balance, with exaggeration as well.
“But for sure there is only one player playing the ball and the contact is created because Ederson goes into the path of Gordon.”

 
