Webb backs VAR over Botman challenge on Jackson

Key Takeaways

• Premier League referees' chief Howard Webb says Sven Botman's foul on Nicolas Jackson was a "high-end reckless challenge" but backed the video
• Botman was shown a yellow card - the correct sanction for a reckless tackle - by referee Jarred Gillett for the Newcastle centre-back's 18th minute
• The Dutch defender went in strongly and over the top of the ball, though contact on the opponent was with his trailing leg
• "I think it's reckless," Gillett said of the challenge
• "Even though you get a touch on the ball, it's still reckless

Premier League referees' chief Howard Webb says Sven Botman's foul on Nicolas Jackson was a "high-end reckless challenge" but backed the video assistant referee's decision not to intervene for a red card.

Botman was shown a yellow card - the correct sanction for a reckless tackle - by referee Jarred Gillett for the Newcastle centre-back's 18th minute challenge on Villa striker Nicolas Jackson on Saturday.

The Dutch defender went in strongly and over the top of the ball, though contact on the opponent was with his trailing leg.

"I think it's reckless," Gillett said of the challenge. "Even though you get a touch on the ball, it's still reckless."

The VAR, Stuart Attwell, decided to support the on-field call of a caution because there was "no secondary scissor action" and contact was "not with the studs".

"I know the referee said yellow card but it was so high and hopefully maybe next time a red card, but it was a yellow," Jackson said after the game. "I nearly broke my leg, but anyway, it's part of football."

Webb says the on-field decision would have remained whether Gillett showed a yellow or a red card.

Villa won the game 1-0 through a 36th-minute Johan Manzambi goal.

On Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said that "robust tackling" is "part of the English game" but that referee still had "a responsibility to ensure players' safety".

"The referee in the moment, on the ground, sees it as a reckless challenge - no doubt a high-end reckless challenge - as Botman comes in and gets a touch on the ball," Webb said.

"There's obviously some speed he comes in with. The VAR looks at that decision and tries to identify whether that was clearly wrong.

"We don't want the referee's decision to be re-refereed by the VAR. We want the referee to have ownership of the decision and the VAR to only step in when there's an element that's clearly wrong.

"So if the VAR had seen strong stud contact from Botman's extended leg into the ankle or shin of Jackson, or there had been a closing of the scissor, I think we'd have probably come out with a different outcome after the VAR had looked at it.

"But he doesn't see that. He realises it's subjective, and he allows it to stay on the field with the referee's call standing.

"Equally, if that had been a red card, for sure it would've been check complete by the VAR as well.

"So, it's a good example really of how the referee's call is working in the Premier League this season.

"A lighter-touch approach: let the referees referee the decision and the VAR step in when there's something clearly really wrong."

After seven rounds of Premier League games there have been 21 VAR interventions, with nine of those subjective. At the same point last season, there had been only three, with zero subjective.

However, mistakes are markedly down relative to the number of interventions.

This season, the Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel has judged one VAR intervention was wrong - Man City's offside winning goal at Man United - with one missed to award a penalty to Arsenal at Aston Villa.

Last season, there had been four errors for missed interventions after seven rounds.

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