Premier League to use 'thicker' VAR lines next season: The Times

Managers, players and fans felt frustrated as many goals were chopped off for offside due to a player's toes or armpit

LONDON:

The Premier League will use 'thicker lines' when using the video assistant referee (VAR) next season to eliminate marginal offside decisions, The Times reported.

The decision, taken at Thursday's Premier League shareholders meeting, comes amid widespread frustration with the system from managers, players and fans with many goals chopped off for offside due to a player's toes or armpit.

In November, Leeds United's Patrick Bamford said VAR was "ruining football" after he was denied a goal in their 4-1 defeat at Crystal Palace because his arm was deemed to be in an offside position when he was pointing to where he wanted the ball to be played.

The thicker lines would give a bigger margin of error to offside calls and also hand the benefit of the doubt back to the attacking team, reports said.

The system, approved by football's law-makers International Football Association Board, is already in use in the Dutch league.