More than the Score

How can we fix VAR?

September 30, 2026·43 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland’s controversial winner in the recent Manchester derby has reignited the debate over VAR in football. Should the video assistant referee be scrapped, or can it be improved? How does it work in other countries, and can football learn anything from other sports? Former Premier League VAR official Graham Scott and CBS Sports analyst Michael Lahoud - a former Sierra Leone and MLS striker - join the BBC's John Bennett to debate ten ways VAR could be improved. We also hear from the BBC’s football issues correspondent Dale Johnson, who explains how VAR works across Europe, as well as BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones, who explains how video technology works in rugby. Unexpected questions and beyond the scoresheet chat. More than the Score tells stories from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

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