[Archived] The Standard of refereeing

[RTM08]

Send them all off to Collina training camp!

[Kendalrover]

The footballers only have themselves to blame, they cheat, lie, swear, threaten in numbers like mob rule. Add into the mix managers like Ferguson, Wenger etc and referees are on a hiding to nothing. Referees have to make decisions in a split second. Football is over analysed and how often do the so called experts in the studio get it wrong. I remember driving to a game eaarlier in the season and listening to a Newcastle match on the radio, can't remember the game, but the radio presenters berated the referee for over 5 minutes over a 'wrong' decision. Then someone said I have just watched the reply and the referee was right, the only response was some glib reply about at least he got one decision right. People like Alan Green want to keep some of their opinions to themselves.

I am not saying referees are perfect but football is a game of human decisions and actions, some you get right and some you get wrong. It is just to easy to blame the referee rather than yourself. Footballers, managers, studio pundits would probably fail the referee exams so why are they 'experts'.

And no matter how important players and manager think they are they should remember one thing. WITHOUT REFEREES THERE WOULD BE NO FOOTBALL.

In otherwords stop moaning and get on with the game,.

[JohnD]

The footballers only have themselves to blame, they cheat, lie, swear, threaten in numbers like mob rule. Add into the mix managers like Ferguson, Wenger etc and referees are on a hiding to nothing. Referees have to make decisions in a split second. Football is over analysed and how often do the so called experts in the studio get it wrong. I remember driving to a game eaarlier in the season and listening to a Newcastle match on the radio, can't remember the game, but the radio presenters berated the referee for over 5 minutes over a 'wrong' decision. Then someone said I have just watched the reply and the referee was right, the only response was some glib reply about at least he got one decision right. People like Alan Green want to keep some of their opinions to themselves.

I am not saying referees are perfect but football is a game of human decisions and actions, some you get right and some you get wrong. It is just to easy to blame the referee rather than yourself. Footballers, managers, studio pundits would probably fail the referee exams so why are they 'experts'.

And no matter how important players and manager think they are they should remember one thing. WITHOUT REFEREES THERE WOULD BE NO FOOTBALL.

In otherwords stop moaning and get on with the game,.

+1

[Speedie Dived]

Was that the one when Adams ran past the red (possibly Ellery) and shouted you F'ing cheat at him?

Yeah that's the one. They forgot to tell the Arsenal players that Ellery was miked up.

[JAL]

Only the losers struggling to get results focus on the referees rather than their own weaknesses.

One referee versus eleven players who have ninety minutes plus to score as many goals as possible...yep, its the refs fault

Sure a referee will get the odd one wrong but what about the manager and the eleven players who've made regaular mistakes during that ninety minutes.

To conclude overall the standard of refereeing in the premiership this season from what Ive seen has been pretty high so thats that.

[Tom]

Your first statement is nonsense JAL evidenced by the fact fergie and Mancini have Targetted them recently, if those two are struggling then the rest of us have no chance

[JAL]

Your first statement is nonsense JAL evidenced by the fact fergie and Mancini have Targetted them recently, if those two are struggling then the rest of us have no chance

Tom did the two mentioned not come out with these statements because their teams had lost I know Mancini's team had just lost dont know what Fergies was about.

I was using the word 'struggling teams' purely in reference to our fans Tom.

[Tom]

Fergie said it after his team beat Bolton 3-0

I do agree though if you win the referee's performance is suddenly under less scrutiny

[Guest Rovers4Good]

To be fair the refs and the other officials have got a bloody hard job to do week in week out and the fact that the rules aren't very clear then i'm sure this debate will run on and on until the rules are clear and concise

Like the sendings off of Kompany and Yakubu and the lack of action with the Johnson tackle.

All 3 you could say are sendings off but you could also say that they are yellow card offences which is where the problem lies and if the FA cannot sort this out then the consistancy of the referees will be called into question which is wrong.

And then there's the offside rule that's a whole new can of worms and one that leaves each and ever manager and fan scratching theirs head when it doesn't go their way.

[BuckyRover]

It's amazing what a contentious red card in a "big" game can do to a debate.

Apparently it's a really big problem now.

[K-Hod]

Until the same offence constitutes the same outcome, things will still be this poor.

Those dinosaurs at FIFA need to sort video technology out.

[BuckyRover]

Until the same offence constitutes the same outcome, things will still be this poor.

Those dinosaurs at FIFA need to sort video technology out.

It never will because the majority of decisions are subjective

[K-Hod]

It never will because the majority of decisions are subjective

Look at the difference between Kompany's challenge on Nani, and Glen Johnson's the week after, both two footed, yet only one was a red card offence, others at the weekend were the same.

If a decision is made about what type of challenge results in what, then at least players, managers and pundits alike can't continue with all this bellyaching.

[Stuart]

It never will because the majority of decisions are subjective

I'm surprise no-one's programmed a computer to decide on red cards. Direction, force, speed, angle of foot, area of contact could all be measured via cameras and offer referees a completely objective view of the actual challenge - which (in theory) would bring in consistency.

The question then would be - does it matter whether or not there is any intent?

[Kelbo]

To be fair the refs and the other officials have got a bloody hard job to do week in week out and the fact that the rules aren't very clear then i'm sure this debate will run on and on until the rules are clear and concise

Like the sendings off of Kompany and Yakubu and the lack of action with the Johnson tackle.

All 3 you could say are sendings off but you could also say that they are yellow card offences which is where the problem lies and if the FA cannot sort this out then the consistancy of the referees will be called into question which is wrong.

And then there's the offside rule that's a whole new can of worms and one that leaves each and ever manager and fan scratching theirs head when it doesn't go their way.

Even worse was the Wigan defender handling the ball yesterday, got a yellow, yet last man and took away a clear goalscoring opportunity, that was poor reffing!!

[Drover]

Was about to mention the Figueroa handball yesterday. For those of you who didn't see it the ball was sailing over his head into the path of aguero who would be clean through on goal and he jumped with his arm raised to prevent it going over his head. Ref gave a yellow yet I don't see how it wasn't a clear goal scoring opportunity. I can only presume that although it shouldn't make a difference the ref only gave a yellow as it was on the halfway line.

There's been some shocking decisions recently

[Stuart]

Was about to mention the Figueroa handball yesterday. For those of you who didn't see it the ball was sailing over his head into the path of aguero who would be clean through on goal and he jumped with his arm raised to prevent it going over his head. Ref gave a yellow yet I don't see how it wasn't a clear goal scoring opportunity. I can only presume that although it shouldn't make a difference the ref only gave a yellow as it was on the halfway line.

There's been some shocking decisions recently

This is what happens to (non-London) teams who try to challenge for Fergie's Title. Dodgy red cards against you and nothing going your way. SSN even ran a story yesterday trying to get Mancini censured for eating an imaginary card in the heat of the moment - and after the fortnight of inconsistent decisions he's been on the receiving end of.

I didn't want City to win the League (due to the "Rule Of Four") but I'm starting to root for them now.

EDIT: waving, not eating.

[CrazyIvan]

Was about to mention the Figueroa handball yesterday. For those of you who didn't see it the ball was sailing over his head into the path of aguero who would be clean through on goal and he jumped with his arm raised to prevent it going over his head. Ref gave a yellow yet I don't see how it wasn't a clear goal scoring opportunity. I can only presume that although it shouldn't make a difference the ref only gave a yellow as it was on the halfway line.

There's been some shocking decisions recently

Interpretation of the rules in the case of Figueroa. There were defenders close enough that 'could' have got back and stopped Aguero. In real terms, it wasn't a clear goal-scoring opportunity as much as it was for the chance of the development of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Big difference.

[JAL]

Was about to mention the Figueroa handball yesterday. For those of you who didn't see it the ball was sailing over his head into the path of aguero who would be clean through on goal and he jumped with his arm raised to prevent it going over his head. Ref gave a yellow yet I don't see how it wasn't a clear goal scoring opportunity. I can only presume that although it shouldn't make a difference the ref only gave a yellow as it was on the halfway line.

There's been some shocking decisions recently

You cant send anyone off (straight red) for handball near the half way line can you. Every fan must know this surely

[American Rover12]

From law 12 to clear up any confusion:

A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.

[K-Hod]

Sorry, I can't agree that on the halfway line, any player can block a goalscoring opportunity!

[Tom]

Sorry, I can't agree that on the halfway line, any player can block a goalscoring opportunity!

To me it was pretty certain that if that ball wasnt blocked then Aguero would have had a chance to score, had he brought him down in that same position it would have been a red

[JAL]

Sorry, I can't agree that on the halfway line, any player can block a goalscoring opportunity!

Yep, its madness to think you've stopped a goalscoring chance with your hand on or close to the half way line.

One other thing to take into consideration when you commit a hand ball offence is who actually has control of the ball ?

[pancini]

i am a referee and if somebody waves an imaginary card at me then they themselves will find their name going into the book it is one of the things i hate and think it should be done by all refs

[K-Hod]

i am a referee and if somebody waves an imaginary card at me then they themselves will find their name going into the book it is one of the things i hate and think it should be done by all refs

I agree entirely.

As for the Figueroa handball, I can't remember the incident clearly, but wasn't there a possibility one of the other Wigan defenders was in line, so could have gotten across to cover? (Granted Aguero is rapid!)