A contentious incident involving Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku during a recent Premier League match at Old Trafford has reignited discussions about Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocols. In the 11th minute of United’s 2-0 victory, Dalot made contact with Doku’s knee during a challenge. Referee Anthony Taylor issued a yellow card, and although VAR Craig Pawson reviewed the play, he chose not to upgrade the decision to a red card, upholding the on-field ruling.

Expert Opinions and Public Reaction

The decision drew immediate attention from football pundits and former officials. Ex-Premier League referees Dermot Gallagher and Mike Dean argued that Dalot should have received a red card, citing the perceived severity of the contact. This split of opinion highlighted the subjective nature of such incidents and underscored the ongoing scrutiny surrounding VAR’s role in crucial game moments.

VAR Protocols and Official Defense

Howard Webb, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), defended the VAR decision on Match Officials Mic’d Up. He emphasized that VAR is only meant to intervene in cases of clear and obvious errors. Webb explained the importance of playback speed, noting that slow-motion replays can exaggerate the severity of challenges: “At full speed…there’s not a great deal of speed in the action, not a lot of intensity.”

PGMOL’s current protocol prioritizes real-time assessment before using slight slow-motion to pinpoint contact. Webb concluded that since the challenge lacked demonstrable speed, force, and intensity, the yellow card was appropriate, justifying the decision to let the on-field ruling stand.