Maddison says referees are petrified of decisions

"Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suggested referees are "petrified" to make decisions because of the video assistant referee, after being denied a stoppage-time penalty against Leeds on Monday. Substitute Maddison went down under Lukas Nmecha's challenge, but referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR dismissed his appeal for a spot-kick. The match finished 1-1, leaving Spurs two points above the Premier League relegation zone with two games to play."

"Maddison, 29, who was making his first appearance of the season after his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, wrote on his Instagram account: "For clarity The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that. "But the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS.""

"BBC pundit Alan Shearer has been vocal in his criticism of VAR, saying refereeing standards are "the worst we have seen for a long time" and "only getting worse" because of the use of its use. Former Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock has said VAR is the "worst thing that has been introduced to the game", while ex-England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has said football's emotion is being drained by technology."

"Meanwhile, Europe's top leagues have been summoned to a meeting with Uefa in the summer to discuss how VAR technology is being used, with head of Uefa referees Roberto Rosetti saying: "I believe that we forgot the reason"

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison criticized refereeing after a stoppage-time penalty appeal was rejected following a challenge involving Lukas Nmecha. Maddison said the contact he felt came from a small touch on the ball from the outside of his right foot and that he informed the referee. He argued that VAR makes officials “petrified” to make decisions on the pitch because checks take time and outcomes are influenced by video review. The match ended 1-1, leaving Spurs two points above the relegation zone with two games remaining. Other prominent figures also criticized VAR, while UEFA planned a summer meeting with top leagues to review how VAR is being used.

Read at www.bbc.com