Wellington Phoenix are seeking legal advice and demanding more funding for referees after the controversial red card to star defender Tim Payne.

The Phoenix are fuming after Payne's one-match ban was upheld by the match review panel.

Wellington say an incorrect process resulted in Payne's sending off in Saturday's 2-2 A-League Men draw with Perth Glory.

The All Whites defender was initially given a yellow card for a foul on the Glory's David Williams but the video assistant referee (VAR) intervened and Payne was issued a straight red card, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension.

The Phoenix maintain that, under football's laws, the video ref had no right to become involved.

Wellington cited rules stating a VAR may help the on-field referee only in the event of a clear and obvious error or serious missed incident in relation to a goal or no goal; penalty or no penalty or; direct red card - not a second yellow card or caution.

Wellington submitted an obvious error application to Football Australia which was rejected by the A-League's independent match review panel on Monday.

The match review panel doesn't have remit to consider whether VAR correctly intervened, which Phoenix general manager David Dome said was a key issue.

Dome said the Phoenix are seeking legal advice given they had no other avenue of appeal within football.

And he demanded additional funding and investment to better educate referees.

"This needs to happen as a matter of urgency," Dome said in a statement on Tuesday.

"But there also needs to be a review of the disciplinary and dispute regulations that do not reflect the laws of the game.

"The VAR interventions often appear to (be) arbitrary and certainly vary depending on who the officials are.

"There are regulations that officials need to follow and there needs to be consistency across the A-Leagues."

Dome also called for the appeals process to be revised.

"Players are guilty until proved innocent and the natural law provision of beyond reasonable doubt does not seem to apply in the application of football regulations," he said.