Official Move: Ex-Premier League Super-Ref Howard Webb Heads West To Oversee US Video Assistant Project

Alan Duffy

8th, February 2017

Former Premier League referee Howard Webb has landed himself a big new job in the USA.

The 45-year-old, who currently works as a pundit for BT Sports, will join the North American Professional Referee Organisation as ‘Manager of Video Assistant Referee Operations’, a role which will see him take charge of “the development and education, assessment, and assignment of Video Assistant Referees (VARs) for the Organization”.

The use of video assistants to help referees is set for a major push this season, with the Professional Referee Organisation using these assistants in 30 pre-season MLS games and, after that, in league games in the second-half of the 2017 season.

Webb, who oversaw that infamous heated 2010 World Cup final, said:

I’m delighted to join the Professional Referee Organization for this new challenge and contribute to the implementation of what I view as a crucial development for the sport.

I have tremendous respect for the Organization that Peter Walton has created and am excited to be on board for the continued development of this initiative.

Good luck to him.

If the US are embracing the use of video assistants, one imagines it’s only a matter of time before the Premier League finally gets on board with the idea.

As for Webb, one doubts he’ll be missed on BT too, as his occasional contributions always seems a tad unnecessary.

With the likes of Webb and Mr Tattoo himself, Mark Clattenburg, England seems to be producing decent officials. Now if only the country can muster a decent team on the pitch.

Posted in MLS

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