# Referee Chief Howard Webb Vows to Prevent Farcical VAR Mistake at Tottenham
Referee chief Howard Webb has expressed his disappointment in the farcical VAR mistake at Tottenham and has vowed to ensure similar incidents are prevented from happening in future. Liverpool were beaten away at Tottenham in controversial circumstances last month, with a VAR communication error causing a legitimate Luis Diaz goal to not be awarded shortly before the interval.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) acknowledged that a “significant human error” had resulted in the strike not being allowed to stand, with the VAR audio from the incident subsequently released following a formal request from Liverpool.
PGMOL chief and former referee Webb was invited to discuss the error on Sky Sports’ ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ show, where he discussed what went wrong and explained why the game couldn’t be pulled back when the mistake was acknowledged.
## Webb Acknowledges Disappointment
Webb began by acknowledging the disappointment of the officials involved in the incident. “We took the unusual step of releasing the audio from this situation. Of course, we are all disappointed to see the VAR not step in to correct an obvious error, nobody is more disappointed than the officials themselves.”
He then went on to explain that the PGMOL’s job was to find out what happened and figure out what they can do to prevent it happening in the future. He also addressed criticism that referees take too long to make decisions, saying that they focus on efficiency but never at the compromise of accuracy.
## Steps Taken to Prevent Similar Mistakes
Webb then discussed the steps that have been taken to prevent similar mistakes from occurring in the future. He explained that they want the on-field referee to communicate to the VAR what the decision is very clearly.
He also discussed why the game couldn’t be pulled back when the mistake was acknowledged, saying that it was better if the referee didn’t know and neither did any of the officials. He said that it was better that they stayed focused in the moment and that the laws of the game set by FIFA don’t allow for games to be delayed.
## Conclusion
The farcical VAR mistake at Tottenham was a disappointing incident for all involved. Referee chief Howard Webb has expressed his disappointment and has vowed to ensure similar incidents are prevented from happening in future. The PGMOL have put steps in place to ensure that errors like this don’t happen again, and Webb has explained why the game couldn’t be pulled back when the mistake was acknowledged.