Wayne Barnes Advocates Lessons from Rugby for Football Amid VAR Controversy

In the midst of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in football, Wayne Barnes, recently retired after officiating the South Africa vs. All Blacks World Cup final, has offered insights on what football can learn from rugby’s experience with its Television Match Official (TMO).

Barnes acknowledged that football is currently undergoing an “evolutionary period” with VAR, facing scrutiny for both decision-making and the time taken to arrive at those decisions. Despite the challenges, Barnes emphasized that football should not abandon the VAR process but rather focus on refining and understanding the decisions it seeks to reach.

Rugby’s TMO system has been a part of the game for over two decades, spanning Barnes’ entire professional refereeing career. While not without its challenges, especially with the TMO’s growing influence in recent years, it has become an established and integral component of rugby officiating.

During a recent interview with the BBC, Barnes discussed the abuse officials face across various sports and highlighted the lessons football can draw from rugby’s experience with the TMO.

“I hate to chuck grenades at other sports because I think that’s really unfair,” Barnes expressed. “Remember football has only had VAR in play for two or three years now, so they’re still on that evolutionary period. Rugby has been using the TMO for over 20 years, and the more expanded TMO for at least ten now.”

He continued, “What football is still playing with and evolving is trying to work out what are those decisions they are trying to get. It’s not about getting rid of the whole VAR process, but it’s working out ‘what do we mean by getting the big stuff- the clear and obvious stuff.’”

Barnes emphasized the need for a clear understanding of the decisions targeted by VAR in football, advocating for a balance between acknowledging the difficulty of the officials’ job and ensuring their protection across different sports.

“I want people to understand what a difficult job it is, but I also want to make sure officials are protected, not just within rugby but in different sports,” Barnes concluded, offering valuable insights from his extensive experience as a referee. As football continues to navigate the challenges of VAR, Barnes’ perspective provides a thoughtful perspective on the ongoing evolution of the sport’s officiating processes.