David Gough: VAR not the solution for GAA

Leading inter-county referee David Gough has urged caution against any future introduction of a TMO or video assistant into Gaelic games.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport, the Meath man said that his position has evolved on the issue in recent times, offering up the recent Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand as a tale of caution.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Gough said that retiring referee Wayne Barnes was "abdicating his responsibility" with some key decisions in the match, including Sam Cane's upgraded red card, being made in the TMO bunker rather than by the English official on the pitch.

Gough admitted that in the past that he would have welcomed more technological assistance, but said that his mind has been changing.

"I have said in the past that I would have [welcomed assistance] but having watched what's happening now in soccer and the very fine margins they’re looking at in relation to offside, we’re talking millimetres here, it’s going to come down at some point to maybe not a serious infraction like a red-card infraction, but something simple like steps, which is very hard for us to police.

"Steps happen every four to five seconds and it starts again for four to five seconds and it starts again. How stringent do you want that policed?

"If we do bring in a VAR or TMO, where does it stop?"

Gough also hit out at the lack of consultation between officials and rule-makers when it comes to the laws of Gaelic football.

A meeting of the GAA's Ard Chomhairle at Croke Park on Saturday considered proposals from the standing committee on playing rules, and from the sliotar and hurley regulation workgroup, but Gough said that the document containing proposed rule changes was only disclosed to