Wayne Rooney has voiced concerns regarding an over-dependence on VAR following errors during the Aston Villa versus Newcastle FA Cup match last weekend.
Referee Chris Kavanagh and his assistant referees, Gary Beswick and Nick Greenhalgh, faced criticism for their officiating in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Villa Park.
Key mistakes included failing to recognize that Tammy Abraham was offside for Villa’s first goal, missing a potentially red card-worthy tackle by Villa’s Lucas DigneJacob Murphy, and awarding a handball free-kick against Digne despite the incident occurring within the penalty area.
Rooney described the handball decision as “one of the worst calls he has ever witnessed,” while serving as a pundit on BBC’s live broadcast of the match.
On the Wayne Rooney Show podcast, he elaborated, stating, “There is an excessive reliance on VAR.”
“Sadly, officials have become accustomed to relying on VAR, which sometimes allows them to avoid making tough decisions,” Rooney commented. “In the absence of VAR, they must take responsibility for their calls, but they might find themselves hesitant to act because of their experiences using VAR.”
Rooney drew parallels between the handball incident and notable missed calls, such as Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal in 2010 and Pedro Mendes’ in 2005, where the ball clearly crossed the line.
“I thought the linesman was well-positioned to assist the referee if an error was made,” he noted during the podcast. “It was an unusual decision, and while the officials will be disappointed, it was clearly a mistake.”
Former Premier League referee Graham Scott, also a guest on the podcast, disagreed with the notion that referees hide behind VAR. “I work closely with these officials and understand their mindset,” he stated. “In my career, I’ve experienced officiating both with and without VAR, and my approach remained consistent.”
Additionally, Sunderland coach Regis Le Bris claimed that Kavanagh privately acknowledged a mistake regarding a failure to grant Sunderland a penalty against Liverpool on February 11.
The officials involved will find out at 4 PM on Monday if they have been assigned Premier League matches for the upcoming weekend.
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VAR will be implemented in the FA Cup starting from the fifth round.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe commented after the match: “There’s a valid argument to be made that when VAR is in play, referees might hesitate, thinking, ‘I won’t make that call, let’s let VAR review it instead.’ This could lead to less decisive decision-making on their part.”
Top officials are encouraged to trust their instincts and make on-field decisions. The Premier League boasts the lowest VAR intervention rate among major European leagues and operates under the principle that the on-field referee’s judgment should prevail unless a subjective call is unquestionably incorrect.