one last (?) word on WC referees
this was originally posted as a comment on the last topic on the site but i feel that the topic is important enough to merit it's own headline
i couldn't disagree with the AR more on the qualiity of WC refereeing. the incompetence was shocking and meanspirited. the inconsistentcy we saw from play to play(think about the calls and non calls in the Spain/Tunisia game as an example). the constant talk throughout germany was about how bad the officiating was- i have watched the cup religiously since we began to be able to see all of the games live (was that first in 94?) and this was far and away the most dismal performance i have seen by the officials. as i have posted bfore, the favoritism shown towards the big teams (with Italy being peerhaps the biggest beneficiary. the penalty against the aussies and the calls in the US game were absurd- i watched the US game on tv, in an unbiased French bar with italian fans, and everyone there thought the calls against the US were too severe- and don't get me started on the call against Gooch in the Ghana game).
the diving calls, or lack of them, were an embarassment to the game and it is clear that it has to be taken out of the refs hands and be subject to post game video review. i would also endorse the idea of a 2nd ref on the field to catch these cheats more effectively (and for lots of other reasons). guys like cristiano ronaldo need to be severely disciplined- expelled from the game if necessary.
4 comments:
excuse all the typos in my post
The previous blog left didnt say anything about the level of good or bad reffing in the world cup but that at least the refs in the WC were taking the game seriously like all refs at all levels
just as a doping crisis on the pro cycling circuit is not an indictment of the weekend cyclist, my comments are not to be taken as some sort of attack on refs at the local level. refereeing at the pro level is often astonishingly inept, never more so than at the WC. is it because the players are too fast, strong and skilled (as players and actors)? certainly- that is why i think FIFA has too consider adding another ref to the field and using video evidence to catch cheats (at least). there is also corruption in the game (see the german and italian leagues), but that does not appear to be the reason for the problem although certain WC calls make you wonder...
we'll just have to disagree on this one. My opinion is that overall, referring was better in this WC, in part because refs worked in teams with ARs from their federations and thus were better able to communicate with each other and had experience working together. I think to OS calls were significantly more accurate, and I think the refs played advantage more often than in past WCs.
But I also agree that we're not going to agree on this so no need to beat on this horse much more.
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