VAR analysis: What role did VAR play in the Chelsea vs. West Ham confrontation?

The video assistant referee generates debate weekly in the Premier League, but how are decisions reached and are they accurate?

This season, we will examine significant incidents to clarify the procedure in relation to VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.

Andy Davies (@andydaviesref), a former Select Group referee with over 12 seasons on the elite list, has officiated in both the Premier League and Championship. With considerable experience at the highest level, he has worked within the VAR framework in the Premier League and provides a distinct perspective on the processes, reasoning, and protocols implemented during a Premier League matchday.

Chelsea 3-2 West Ham United

Referee: Anthony Taylor
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Time: 90+11 minutes
Incident: A large confrontation involving 20 players.

What occurred: The large confrontation in the closing moments of Saturday’s exciting London derby between Chelsea and West Ham underscored the advantages of VAR.

With nearly 20 players participating in the fracas at the conclusion of a dramatic last-minute 3-2 victory for Chelsea, the challenge for the on-field officials was to pinpoint all offenders and their actions. However, this task was extremely challenging due to the number of players involved.

The issues arose in the 11th minute of stoppage time, shortly after Enzo Fernández had scored. West Ham winger Adama Traoré threw Marc Cucurella to the ground and then clashed with João Pedro, who intervened to defend his teammate.

The altercation attracted numerous other players, resulting in Traoré and Pedro receiving cautions, but a VAR review led to West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo being sent off for placing his hands around Pedro’s throat.

What is the procedure? A VAR review of the replays is thorough, but it is important to note that VAR can only intervene if a violent act is identified that the on-field officials did not see.

Referee Anthony Taylor would have briefed his team prior to the match regarding the process he expects in such situations. However, each incident is distinct, and with three separate groups of players involved in confrontations at one point, Taylor and his team had to exert considerable effort to manage the situation and determine who to penalize.

The VAR and assistant VAR follow a similar external process, as they aim to identify key players and their actions initially from the live feed, while the third member of the VAR team, the RO (replay operator), prepares all available angles for the VAR to review once the altercation has calmed and the on-field team has addressed any offenders in real-time.

The VAR has complete access to the live communication on the field, so they will have reviewed each action noted by Taylor to ensure that the assessment of the incident was accurate and did not meet the criteria for a violent act, rather than merely aggressive behavior.

Once VAR has confirmed all the on-field penalties—in this case, the yellow cards for the two instigators, Traoré and Pedro—the RO will then provide alternative angles that were not initially available on the “live” feed for VAR to analyze and identify any further offenses for violent conduct.

VAR review: The reverse angle of this incident revealed Todibo grabbing Pedro around the neck in a violent manner, which clearly satisfied the criteria for a red-card offense, and was flagged by VAR Salisbury to be included in the package presented to the referee during the OFR (on-field review).

Taylor did not require a second look when he was directed to the monitor, as Todibo’s actions made the decision clear-cut, resulting in his dismissal for violent conduct.

Conclusion: An effective application of VAR to complement the on-field efforts made by Taylor and his team.

The refereeing team consistently aims to identify the instigators for yellow cards, as well as any additional acts of violent conduct and red-card offenses, and at times they require assistance.

In this instance, Traoré and Pedro were cautioned for initiating the incident, while Todibo exceeded the limits and received a direct red card for his actions, which was entirely appropriate.