Lee Mason quits as Premier League referee following costly VAR error against Arsenal, PGMOL confirms

Posted Saturday, February 18, 2023 by Goal.com

Lee Mason has left PGMOL following his costly error in Arsenal's draw with Brentford on February 11.

Mason leaves after catastrophic error
Forgot to draw lines to check for offside
Has refereed over 500 games

WHAT HAPPENED? Mason has left PGMOL by "mutual consent" following VAR failing to rule out Ivan Toney's equaliser for Brentford against Arsenal. Despite a lengthy VAR check of over three minutes, Mason forgot to check Brentford player Christian Norgaard's positioning, with his headed cross resulting in a goal for the visitors.

PGMOL Statement: Lee Mason pic.twitter.com/u06YKeDx5S
— PGMOL (@FA_PGMOL) February 17, 2023

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The decision was described as "human error" by PGMOL, with chief refereeing officer Howard Webb sending Arsenal an official apology for the mistake which saw them drop vital points in the title race. Webb acknowledged "significant errors in the VAR process" as the technology endured one of its worst weekends.

AND WHAT'S MORE: It was the second time that Mason had been reprimanded for his actions as a VAR official this season. The first came when he incorrectly disallowed a goal for Newcastle against Crystal Palace in September.

WHAT NEXT FOR VAR? Webb and his fellow referee's will be hoping for a slightly easier weekend as they look to rectify mistakes and address criticism aimed at them in previous weeks.