Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Burnley boss says VAR must be quicker after penalty confusion

LONDON (Reuters) - Burnley manager Sean Dyche said VAR decisions must be made much more quickly after a bizarre incident during his side's 1-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Barnsley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Burnley boss says VAR must be quicker after penalty confusion
(Reuters)

Dyche, who has thrown his support behind the Video Assistant Referee system that was used at the World Cup last year and will likely be introduced in the Premier League next season, was left perplexed after a penalty awarded to his side was overturned.

Czech striker Matej Vydra was bundled over in the area in the first half leading referee Simon Hooper to point to the spot. As Vydra began his run-up to take the kick, however, Hooper signalled that the decision had been reversed by VAR.

"I am a big fan of the concept (VAR), but for the first penalty I felt the time to get to the decision was the big thing," Dyche told reporters.

"The referee allowed the set-up for a penalty and I know we are learning about it, but I think the referee should grab the ball and walk outside the penalty area, so there are no implications.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"If it is a long decision, for me he has to move outside the box and stand there because Matej had got to the point of his run-up before the referee blew his whistle and said 'no'."

"That delay was what annoyed me, not the outcome because once you know that is right you quickly move on," added Dyche whose side were awarded a stoppage-time penalty that Chris Wood converted to put the Clarets into the fourth round.

"The timing was strange, and the outcome has to be made clearer because people weren't sure whether it was a penalty or not."

Selected FA Cup third-round ties were using the VAR system on Saturday and Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to introduce it from the start of next season.

UEFA will fast-track the implementation of VAR for the Champions League knockout stages this season.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)


2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world