Andy Davies, Special to ESPNMultiple AuthorsMar 20, 2026, 08:28 PM ET
Video assistant referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made and are they correct?
Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a Premier League matchday.
Referee: Stuart Attwell VAR: Craig Pawson Time: 67 minutes Incident: Possible penalty for Manchester United
VAR review: Given that Bournemouth scored immediately following this penalty appeal by United, the check by VAR needed the profile of an official check as opposed to a background check, which would have been the case if the goal hadn’t occurred.
Time: 78 minutes Incident: Penalty awarded to Bournemouth and Harry Maguire sent off for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO)
What happened: Referee Attwell further frustrated Manchester United when he pointed to the spot, penalizing Maguire as he appeared to commit a holding offense on Bournemouth’s Evanilson, pulling him to the ground as he was in a clear opportunity to score. The foul was also deemed a DOGSO offense by Attwell, and he sent Maguire off.
VAR decision: The referee’s call of a penalty and red card for Maguire for the DOGSO was checked and confirmed by VAR — with it deemed to be a holding offense with no attempt to challenge for the ball.
VAR review: Checking the replays for the Evanilson penalty and Maguire red card was a straightforward review for Pawson. Remember, the on-field decision will always be upheld unless there is video evidence that shows a clear error by the refereeing team.
Referee Attwell’s communication described the actions by Maguire as a clear holding offense, with no attempt to play the ball and his actions stopping an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The replay review showed nothing different, with both the penalty and subsequent red card deemed correct by Pawson. He checked and cleared both outcomes.
When you break down the detail of the action by Maguire, it’s difficult to argue against him being penalized, as it was a clear and deliberate action to disrupt and even stop his opponent from possibly scoring, while making absolutely no attempt to play the ball.
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