Neil Swarbrick, who is currently in charge of VAR operations, is set to retire from his post at the end of the season.
The 57-year-old officiated in the Premier League for over seven years before retiring at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Swarbrick has since retired as the Premier League’s head of VAR implementation, where he oversaw the introduction of technology to the top division for the 2019-20 season.
While some have commended the use of technology to eliminate obvious errors, officials on VAR duty have come under constant fire for a number of high-profile screw ups.
Swarbrick was recently chastised when Tomas Soucek handled the ball inside the penalty area during West Ham United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea on February 11.
The incident was overlooked by on-field referee Craig Pawson, and Swarbrick, who was on VAR duty, chose not to intervene, resulting in his removal from the next round of matches.
According to The Athletic, Swarbrick will leave his role at the conclusion of the season, although his decision is not assumed to be due to this season’s string of mistakes.
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Instead, Swarbrick is thought to have planned a natural retirement for some time, and his resignation will mark the second major exit from the PGMOL ranks in as many months.
According to reports, no replacement to Swarbrick has been made to date.
His retirement comes at a time when PGMOL is undergoing significant upheaval, with Webb taking over as the organization’s head refereeing officer this season.
Webb took over for Mike Riley, who had held the position since 2009.
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