Premier League to Publish Full KMI Panel Judgements on Referee and VAR Decisions

Posted : 18 August 2026

The Premier League will make the full judgements of its Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel publicly available for the first time during the 2026/27 season, as part of a wider push to improve transparency around refereeing and VAR decisions.

The KMI Panel has been operating since the 2022/23 campaign and reviews major incidents involving match officials. Its assessments cover key decisions such as penalties, red cards and offside calls, with each incident judged by an independent panel consisting of former players or coaches, plus representatives from the Premier League and Pro Ref.

Until now, the panel's complete findings have not been released to supporters, although details have occasionally emerged through clubs. From the new season, the Premier League will publish the panel's results weekly through its website and app, allowing fans to see how individual decisions were assessed.

The league is also expanding the information provided directly by referees and VARs. Selected incidents will feature the officials' own words, including the referee's explanation for an on-field decision and the VAR's reasoning for either recommending a review or deciding not to intervene. These explanations will appear through the Premier League Match Centre on X, as well as on the league's website and app.

Another change will involve RefCam, which gives viewers footage from the referee's perspective. During selected matches, audio from the referee's conversations with players will also be released. The clips will not be broadcast live and will not include VAR conversations. The feature is expected to be used in roughly one or two matches per round when RefCam is available.

The Premier League and Pro Ref are continuing to seek greater access to officials' communications, but the International Football Association Board (IFAB) currently restricts the live broadcasting of VAR discussions. The league says it will continue discussions with football's lawmakers over whether more communication can eventually be made available to supporters.

The new measures build on previous efforts to improve the matchday VAR experience, including referee announcements following reviews and greater online explanations of controversial decisions. The Premier League says the latest changes are designed to give supporters a clearer understanding of how and why important refereeing decisions are reached.

Premier League to Publish Full KMI Panel Judgements on Referee and VAR Decisions

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