Refereeing

[Dodge]

Interesting commentary on Poll here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...06/5108722.stm

Surprising that none of the Australians pointed out to Poll his error on the two yellows.

Not being funny but they had other things on their mind...

[geysir]

Surprising that none of the Australians pointed out to Poll his error on the two yellows.

Apparantly Viduka did
"I was sure it was his second," said Viduka.
"I asked Graham how many cards had Simunic received. Graham said only one. It looks like he got it wrong."
"Everybody makes mistakes," he said.
"Graham Poll is a top quality referee. I will not say anything against him."

A positive result inspires a lot of forgiveness.

[OwlsFan]

What chance have referees in the modern game? Right from the start players are play-acting, diving, feigning injury, elbowing, appealing, shirt-pulling, trying to get an opponent booked, swearing and complaining. No help from technology that the pundits exploit.

If the World Cup has shown anything, we need the following:

(a) The clock being stopped for all to see when a player goes down.

(b) Video replays for crucial incidents if required by the ref for disallowed goals and red cards.

(c) Radio contact between a ref reviewing tapes and the ref on the field of play so that the Figo headbutt can be picked up if the ref misses it.

CHeating is ruining the game not the refs.

[Dodge]

He booked Figo for the headbutt. He made the wrong choice.

[OwlsFan]

He booked Figo for the headbutt. He made the wrong choice.

Headbutts are an automatic red so the linesman must have given him the incorrect information.

[pineapple stu]

(a) The clock being stopped for all to see when a player goes down.

No need. The ref just adds the time on. Just because you can't see it happening doesn't mean it isn't happening.

(b) Video replays for crucial incidents if required by the ref for disallowed goals and red cards.

No. If a ref has to consult a video for every decision, the game would degenerate into a farce. If someone else is watching a video from the stand and letting the ref know every time he made a mistake, you'd breed a new generation of useless refs unable to make a decision for themselves.

(c) Radio contact between a ref reviewing tapes and the ref on the field of play so that the Figo headbutt can be picked up if the ref misses it.

No need. The ref has two linesmen for that exact purpose. That they didn't spot the Figo incident or the Sneijder push (which, ridiculously, was also only a yellow) is the real issue.

[geysir]

Anyway, I don't see how Figo's slight nod of the head could have made any contact with Van Bommell's face and then the few seconds delay before Van Bommell hit the grass in agony. Hard to tell who's the bigger príck.

[OwlsFan]

No need. The ref just adds the time on. Just because you can't see it happening doesn't mean it isn't happening..

Transparency. The players and fans can see what the clock is stopped for an how long is left.

No. If a ref has to consult a video for every decision, the game would degenerate into a farce. If someone else is watching a video from the stand and letting the ref know every time he made a mistake, you'd breed a new generation of useless refs unable to make a decision for themselves...

I didn't say every decision. I said red cards and goals which the ref feels he needs to refer to a 4th Official. Many of these are not contentious and surely it is more important to get the decision correct than have a minute's delay. It has to come and it would be the end of Andy Gray etc perpetually going on about refereeing decisions.

No need. The ref has two linesmen for that exact purpose. That they didn't spot the Figo incident or the Sneijder push (which, ridiculously, was also only a yellow) is the real issue.

This is the less important of the 3 but linesman obviously didn't see the headbutt otherwise it would have been a straight red. I suspect he thought it was a push or something like that.

[Soko]

Well that was an outstanding first half display for the linesman. He let Adriano away with 2 clear offsides, one almost resulting in a goal and the second was a goal. Its beyond belief how he missed those 2 clear decisions.

[OwlsFan]

It is almost a physical impossibility to get all offsides correct - how can you be looking two places at the same time (unless cross eyed). Very difficult task. Wouldn't like that job at all.

[geysir]

The correct term to use is figobutt, not headbutt
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...igobutt203.jpg

[pineapple stu]

Transparency. The players and fans can see what the clock is stopped for an how long is left.

But what's to gain from that? I wouldn't be bothered, to be honest. Wouldn't mind seeing a return to not knowing how much injury time was to be played, to be honest - far more exciting in tense games.

I didn't say every decision. I said red cards and goals which the ref feels he needs to refer to a 4th Official. Many of these are not contentious and surely it is more important to get the decision correct than have a minute's delay.

But this is the whole point - if you create refs who are able to defer any contentious decision to a video ref, they'll soon be unable to make any decision on their own. Suddenly your one minute delay is getting multiplied by five...ten...fifteen consultations a match. These decisions even themselves out over time - people get far too hooked up on getting them right all the time. And as Munster will tell you, even the video replay's not infallible. Where do you go then?

This is the less important of the 3 but linesman obviously didn't see the headbutt otherwise it would have been a straight red. I suspect he thought it was a push or something like that.

It barely qualified as a head-butt to be honest. I'd actually agree with geysir above. In which case, I'd proffer the contentious opinion that the punishment fitted the crime perfectly.

[Colie]

Ref in Potugal Holland was right on most occassions so I think its the players that should be getting the grief not the ref on that one coz I heard of him getting a load of stick.

[pineapple stu]

Definitely. Hard to argue against any of the reds, to be honest. He even missed a couple!

[Marked Man]

It is almost a physical impossibility to get all offsides correct - how can you be looking two places at the same time (unless cross eyed). Very difficult task. Wouldn't like that job at all.

In general I would agree, but Brazil's second goal should have been an easy call: the ball wasn't played to Adriano from a long way behind him. The passer was more or less in line with Adriano, so the linesman wouldn't have had to watch two places at once for that.

And as for yesterday's penno for Italy...

[geysir]

The ball was flicked onto Adriano (in an offside position) by the defender.

[Soko]

The ball was flicked onto Adriano (in an offside position) by the defender.

And the ball was crossed in by Cafu? with Adriano in an offside position. The defender flicking it is irrelevant.

[OwlsFan]

Anyway, I don't see how Figo's slight nod of the head could have made any contact with Van Bommell's face and then the few seconds delay before Van Bommell hit the grass in agony. Hard to tell who's the bigger príck.

Have a look here. Seems like good contact.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...igobutt203.jpg

[geysir]

Have a look here. Seems like good contact.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...igobutt203.jpg

I had already posted that image in post 31

I'd admit contact, but a butt?

[Stuttgart88]

I had already posted that image in post 31

I'd admit contact, but a butt?

Figo was lucky. Everybody knows that what he did was just an aggressive gesture rather than a full-blown headbutt but, equally, everyone also knows that this type of action almost always gets a red card while the "recipient" never has a case to answer. Ask Alan Thompson & Peter Lovenkrands.