
<p>Howard Webb, the head of the PGMOL that oversees all referee assignments in the Premier League, admitted to an error from center official Michael Oliver in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40G8ZtncaP0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manchester City’s loss at Arsenal</a>. In the first half of the game, Mateo Kovacic committed a foul on Martin Odegaard. He picked up a yellow card for that incident. Then, just minutes later, the Croat laid out a similar challenge on Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice. Oliver did not brandish a card, and Kovacic remained on the pitch,</p>



<p>Speaking to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> Productions on <em>Match Officials Mic’d Up</em>, Webb says the second Kovacic challenge deserved a second yellow card. However, Michael Oliver did not award the second yellow. Webb clarified that VAR cannot step in for yellow cards. This is the case even if a challenge is worthy of a second yellow and a subsequent sending-off.</p>



<p>Yet, the issues do not stop there with Kovacic’s tackles against Arsenal. Webb says that if Kovacic earned a red card for his original challenge on Odegaard, VAR would have been fine with that. </p>



<p>“This is clearly a poor tackle and I’m pretty confident if a red card had been given by Michael Oliver on the day it would have been a very straightforward ‘check complete’ [by the VAR official],” Webb said. “But he doesn’t, he issues a yellow card.”</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Howard Webb is all over the place in his defense of referee Michael Oliver. Can we send Webb back to MLS? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARSMCI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARSMCI</a> <a href="https://t.co/nThtCBzGGr">pic.twitter.com/nThtCBzGGr</a></p>— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1711837173538807885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>VAR has been under scrutiny for the last two weeks because of egregious errors. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/premier-league-releases-audio-of-liverpool-var-mistake-20231003-WST-459980.html">Premier League audio</a> showed an embarrassing blunder that ruled out a Liverpool goal in an <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/tottenham-go-second-after-last-gasp-win-over-nine-man-liverpool-20230930-WST-459539.html">eventual loss at Spurs</a>. Then, just this past weekend, a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/burnley-and-chelsea-game-nearly-had-another-var-debacle-20231010-WST-461276.html">similar mistake nearly transpired</a> in Chelsea’s win at Burnley.</p>



<h2>Premier League adopting changes to avoid further referee error</h2>



<p>Webb said Oliver did not want to have too big of an <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/late-martinelli-strike-gives-arsenal-huge-victor-over-man-city-20231008-WST-461090.html">impact on the game</a> by showing two yellow cards in quick succession. </p>



<p>“[Oliver] doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting to something,” Webb said. “Sometimes players will be on a yellow card and will be pressured to show a second one.</p>



<p>To combat these errors, the Premier League is adopting new phrases to avoid any further miscommunication between officials. Webb added that Oliver will likely look back at this game and think Kovacic deserved a second yellow card.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Sportimage</em>.</p>


Premier League referee boss admits key mistake in Arsenal-City

Howard Webb, the head of the PGMOL that oversees all referee assignments in the Premier League, admitted error by referee Michael Oliver


<p>Michael Oliver, a current Premier League referee, earned about $3,000 to officiate a match in Saudi Arabia earlier this week. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Premier League</a> referee traveled to the Middle Eastern country to call a game between Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.</p>



<p>The <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11993493/Michael-Oliver-earned-3-000-referee-Cristiano-Ronaldos-Al-Nassr-Al-Hilal.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daily Mail</a></em> claims that the Saudi league paid for Oliver to fly business class to and from Saudi Arabia. English top flight officials supposedly make roughly half of the aforementioned price for Premier League matches. Oliver, and perhaps other English referees, could make similar trips in the future.</p>



<h2>Not first Premier League referee to go to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere</h2>



<p>Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) leader Howard Webb is apparently more lenient than previous officiating bosses. Webb, a former Premier League referee himself, is open to allowing other officials to work overseas. This is, of course, as long as they don’t miss any of their domestic work.</p>



<p>Oliver was not on duty to referee any of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Champions League</a> fixtures during the week. This allowed him to travel to the Middle East for the Saudi matchup. He will be back on the pitch for a English top flight game at the weekend.</p>



<h5>Oliver booked Ronaldo for NFL tackle on Al Hilal player</h5>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cristiano Ronaldo wrestles a player with a flying headlock in tonight&apos;s game for Al Hilal. All <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CR7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CR7</a> got was a yellow card from Michael Oliver 🟨<a href="https://t.co/ZmJCHFX7Hk">pic.twitter.com/ZmJCHFX7Hk</a></p>— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1648485722989674496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>The Saudi match ended in a 2-0 victory for Al Hilal thanks to multiple penalties awarded by Oliver. However, perhaps the most noteworthy moment of the night for ref came when he booked Ronaldo in the second half. The Portugal international bear-hugged an opposing player and then proceeded to essentially choke-slammed the player to the ground. Ronaldo’s wrestling move could have merited a sending off, but Oliver only gave the superstar a yellow card.</p>



<p>The widely-considered top referee in England will next officiate <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/liverpool-tv-schedule/">Liverpool’s</a> matchup with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Oliver, 38, began his refereeing career back in 2003. He was quickly added to the National List of Referees just four years later. Oliver has been a Premier League official since 2010 and was added to the UEFA Elite list in 2018.</p>


Premier League referee Michael Oliver was paid a massive fee to officiate a Saudi Pro League matchup on Tuesday.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Michael Oliver"

Arsenal

Premier League referee boss admits key mistake in Arsenal-City

Cristiano Ronaldo

Premier League official paid thousands to referee Saudi match