Sports
VAR review: Why was Wirtz onside in Premier League, offside in Europe?
Video assistant referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made and are they correct?
This season, we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
Screenshot credit: NBC
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: Craig Pawson
VAR: Andrew Madley
Time: 57 minutes
Incident: Overturn of Florian Wirtz‘s goal after it was ruled out for offside
What happened: Wirtz picked up a through ball into the Fulham penalty area and neatly scored past goalkeeper Bernd Leno, only for assistant referee Lee Betts to flag him offside.
VAR decision/review: It took some time, but VAR checked the on-field decision of no goal, and established that Wirtz was in an onside position before recommending that the goal was awarded.
Verdict: With the naked eye, it seemed that Wirtz had strayed into an offside position and the assistant was correct to disallow the goal. In fact, even the still TV footage left many agreeing that offside was the correct outcome.
However, the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) review produced a different decision.
If you remember back when VAR first arrived, lines were drawn manually by a human VAR and their assistant. But since the last few matchdays of the 204-25 season, SAOT has taken control of judging if players are in an on/offside position, using tracking data as opposed to live footage. That is meant to give far greater accuracy and speed in key moments.
#FULLIV – 57′ VAR OVERTURN
VAR checked the referee’s call of no goal – and established that Wirtz was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded. pic.twitter.com/AA3eq6pT9j
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) January 4, 2026
But there are two key elements to this process that are unique to the Premier League vs. many leagues in Europe and the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
First, the Premier League uses Genius Sports technology SAOT system (also used in Belgium, Mexico and Brazil), which is a different system to that used in UCL and many of the big domestic leagues across Europe. Indeed, those leagues across Europe measure offside positions to the millimeter; the Premier League allows a tolerance level of 5 centimeters.
That, in theory, allows for less marginal decisions against the attacking team (as we saw in the early stages of VAR when lines were drawn on top of each other), with the rationale of creating more goals.
The Wirtz situation is a perfect example of this. As the Liverpool striker is within the “thicker” offside band under the Premier League system, the player is deemed to be onside; but in a UCL match, using stricter guidance with no 5cm tolerance, Wirtz would be deemed offside and the goal would have been disallowed.
Despite the application of SAOT, there is still a human element when a tight offside is being reviewed by VAR, which is the reason why the check at Fulham was relatively long.
The SAOT system will identify and recommend the “Kick Point” (the exact moment ball is played forward in the final pass before it reaches Wirtz), however it is at the discretion of the VAR to confirm they are happy with this, otherwise they will ask for the point to be moved a micro-frame either way.
Undoubtedly, it was this essential element of the process which caused the delay in the check, with the VAR uncomfortable that the original option was correct.
The Wirtz situation is not the first time the SAOT tolerance level has impacted things in the Premier League: Bruno Guimarães was in a similar position before Newcastle United‘s goal from Harvey Barnes against Manchester City in November, while Gabriel Gudmundsson was also ruled to be onside as Lukas Nmecha scored for Leeds United against Aston Villa in the same month.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a burglary that took place at the home of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in November, the Medina County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The three individuals who allegedly broke into Sanders’ home Nov. 16, as well as the driver of the vehicle involved, have been identified, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The fourth suspect is at large with an active warrant for his arrest, according to the release, which also stated that the investigation has been completed.
The sheriff’s office said approximately $200,000 in property was stolen from Sanders’ home in Granger Township, a Cleveland suburb, during the break-in, which occurred while he was making his NFL debut in a Week 11 game against the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders, the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, just completed his first season in the NFL. A son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur started the final seven games of the season for the Browns and completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
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President Donald Trump‘s granddaughter, Kai Trump, revealed on social media Wednesday she underwent surgery to repair a wrist injury.
Kai is an active golfer and made her LPGA debut in November at The Annika in Belleair, Florida.
“Today, I underwent left wrist surgery to address injuries to the stabilizing tissues of my ECU tendon and damage to my fibrocartilage complex. The surgery was successfully performed at the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute by Dr. Thomas Graham, Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics. I look forward to my rehab in the coming months, I am excited for the ability to play golf pain free,” she wrote.
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Donald Trump, center, walks with granddaughter Kai Trump during the ProAm ahead of the LIV Golf Team Championship Oct. 27, 2022, at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Doral, Fla. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The teen wore a bandage on her wrist during a recent interview on Logan Paul’s podcast, “Impaulsive.”
Trump finished in last place at The Annika but made a notable improvement in her second day of competition compared to her first day, improving by eight strokes.
She finished with a two-round score of 18-over 158, putting her 27 shots behind leader Grace Kim (65-66) and 17 away from the projected cut line at one over par.
KAI TRUMP, GRANDDAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP, REVEALS SHE ‘100%’ WANTS TO BE A PRO GOLFER
Kai Trump making her LPGA debut as an amateur at The Annika at Pelican Golf Club. (Accelerator)
“For the first day, I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,” she said. “When I went out there today, I felt very calm and peaceful, to be honest with you. That’s why I played better.
“I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament. So, I think if you prepare right, the nerves can … they’re always going to be there, right? They can be a little softened. So, I would just say that.”
Trump’s performance earned the praise of women’s golf star Charley Hull, a supporter of the president.
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Kai Trump hits a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of The Annika golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
“That’s really good considering this is not just an easy LPGA event. This is probably one of the harder courses that we play on,” Hull said of Trump, per Golf Channel.
“So, for her to come out, she had to be so nervous. It was her first LPGA event. I remember my first event. I was really nervous, and she’s got a lot of pressure on her and a lot of eyes on her.”
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PGA America CEO Derek Sprague, is stepping away from his role after one year to help support his mother and mother-in-law.
Sprague said he realized he needed to spend more time at home after his daughter’s wedding.
“At my daughter’s wedding last month in upstate New York, it became clear that my family needs me nearby to assist with the care of my mother and mother-in-law,” Sprague said in a statement. “Focusing on family has become my priority, and the best decision for me is to step away from my role as CEO and return home to be with them.”
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Derek Sprague announces on the first hole during the a.m. foursome matches for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., Sept. 24, 2021. (Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
Sprague took over in January 2025, becoming the first club professional in 20 years and the first PGA president appointed to the role. He informed the PGA of America board in early December he needed to go home to Malone, New York, and said he would stay on in an advisory role until his successor is found.
Sprague, who served as PGA president from 2014-16, was selected as CEO to replace Seth Waugh, the former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO who had been lured out of retirement in 2018.
PRO GOLFER JHONATTAN VEGAS WEIGHS IN AFTER TRUMP ORDERS ‘LARGE SCALE STRIKE’ IN VENEZUELA
Derek Sprague, CEO of the PGA of America, speaks to the media prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., May 13, 2025. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Waugh had been grooming Craig Kessler, the PGA’s chief operating officer, as a potential replacement, but the PGA board opted for one of its members. Kessler was appointed LPGA commissioner last summer.
Sprague stepping down extends the turnover in golf’s executive leadership. Brian Rolapp took over in August as CEO of the PGA Tour Enterprises, Kessler joined the LPGA in July and Mark Darbon is just over a year into his role as CEO of the R&A.
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Derek Sprague, PGA of America CEO, attends a press conference beside the Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course Sept. 17, 2025 in Farmingdale, N.Y. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Sprague was the PGA of America executive who reached out to Rory McIlroy to apologize for the verbal abuse that he and his wife endured at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup. McIlroy’s wife, Erica, previously worked at the PGA of America, and McIlroy said Sprague “couldn’t have been more gracious” in what he described as a “lovely letter.”
He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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