Premier League Tops Europe in VAR Delays at 1,126 Minutes

The Premier League has recorded the highest video assistant referee delays among Europe's top leagues, with fans enduring a collective 1,126 minutes of stoppages each season from 2017 to 2025, equivalent to nearly 12 full matches.

Research compiled by Snickers in partnership with Opta shows the English top flight experienced more VAR interventions than its counterparts. Spain's La Liga tallied 1,086 minutes of delays, Italy's Serie A 823 minutes and Germany's Bundesliga 604 minutes. The average VAR review lasts 58.3 seconds, though a survey of 1,600 fans found 23 percent perceived checks lasting 90 seconds or longer.

The findings come amid ongoing debates over VAR's impact, highlighted by a recent decision in Arsenal's match against West Ham United. Officials overturned a stoppage-time equalizer for West Ham, a call that officials said could influence both the title race and relegation fight.

Arsenal leads Europe in VAR incidents with 78 since its 2019 introduction to the Premier League, followed by 80 minutes of associated delays. West Ham recorded 68 incidents and Brighton and Hove Albion 60. Seven of the 10 most affected clubs continent-wide play in England.