Error code: %{errorCode}
Former Premier League referee urges FA to change VAR approach in the FA Cup
Peter Walton has called on the FA to look at introducing VAR earlier in the competition after seeing a number of key incidents affected across the Fourth Round.
VAR wasn't used during the last round of FA Cup fixtures and it drew complaints, leading to questions on why it can't be used across the competition. Harry Maguire's late winner for Manchester United likely would not have stood had it been for VAR, while Tariq Lamptey's handball against Chelsea also went unpunished.
Speaking exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to talkSPORT Bet, former Premier League ref sympathised with the situation but also outlined why the FA have made the descision.
"I think it really shows the value of VAR," Walton said.
"We're living in a world at the moment where people are looking at the pitfalls of VAR, and why have we got VAR, and it's taking too long, etc, etc.
"But when you haven't got it, it's like losing your right arm suddenly, and you think, why haven't we got VAR? And so for me, what it's done is enhanced the value of having VAR in the game, even if we don't particularly like it or we don't particularly like that decision.
"And we saw in the FA Cup last weekend, I think there were two or three major incidents but I can understand why the football authorities have delayed the use of VAR in the FA competitions.
"I went to see Northampton Town versus Kettering in the first round, and a fantastic game with no VAR. And that was fine, everybody accepts it because you don't use VAR.
"Now, where do you draw that line? Should we have had VAR because there will be teams competing later on in that competition who use it? So I can understand where the FA are coming from and saying, look, we have to draw a line somewhere because there's a cost involved, there's a number of officials who cover VAR involved."
Despite understanding the FA's predicament, Walton does believe that there is opportunity for the authorities to look at the situation and at least explore the possibility of introducing VAR at an earlier stage of the FA Cup.
Adding: "I think it's the fifth round onwards, they'll use VAR across the board. But clearly, I think there's an appetite to have VAR in earlier than that to cover off all particular situations such as we've just seen."When you have teams who already got the infrastructure in place, there's no cost involved, and it'll be just like switching on a light switch and getting people there.
"I think the FA will look at this, and I think the FA will probably reduce it by maybe one more round next year to the fourth round as we begin to develop the technology.
"We have a system called VAR light, which is not quite the big system we see, but VAR to a degree with a number of reduced cameras. Maybe that's something the FA will look at to bring in early rounds, at least to identify some of the clearer issues that we've seen already."
