EPL to introduce VAR as critics savage Richard Scudamore payout

The League has been using goal line technology since 2013.

The decision comes after contentious refereeing decisions overshadowed a 1-1 league draw between Southampton and Watford last weekend.

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Southampton striker Charlie Austin asked for the introduction of VAR after his goal was disallowed by referee Simon Hooper, who deemed Maya Yoshida to have interfered with the ball from an offside position.

The introduction of the technology comes after clubs voted unanimously against its use in the 2018-19 campaign, instead of agreeing to continue testing of the system.

"The Premier League's non-live testing program will remain in place for the rest of this season, with continued emphasis on those issues that have been played concurrently," the League added.

Meanwhile, Richard Scudamore has £ 5 million pound ($ 8.78 million) bonus spread over three years.

The proposed payment had been criticized by the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), who said it would be a "hugely unpopular" move.

The Premier League said in a statement that it would be supported and endorsed by the 20 clubs at a shareholders' meeting and added that Scudamore would retain an advisory role.

It said the payments were made in the past year.

British media reports had suggested some of the Premier League's smaller clubs were $ 250,000 towards the sum.

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One of those smaller clubs, Burnley, said in a statement on their website, however, that they supported "the rationale behind such payments and the work carried out by the compensation committee.

The FSF had said in an earlier statement that fans strongly opposed the "golden handshake".

"Premier League clubs have always told you that they are planning to have a surplus of cash lying around their lucrative TV deal," it said.

"Loyal football supporters continue to be inconvenienced by a fixture of TV schedules, often struggling to win the game.

"Now it seems clubs can stick their hands up to 250,000 at a time's notice."

Susanna Dinnage, a senior executive at the media organization Discovery, and its next chief executive.

Dinnage is currently the global president for Animal Planet at Discovery Inc.