Referees / cards

[Raify]

What on earth is going on at this tournament? At the moment, there's an average of 5 cards a game with some games of 8,9 and 10!

I know that every world cup, they make up a set of 'directives' to stamp out X or Y. I gather that this year it's:
1. Argy-bargy in the box
2. Time wasting
3. Diving

The only thing they've done right is stopping the nonsense in the box.

I've seen people score, flagged off-side (they weren't) and then booked for time-wasting! On one occasion they were trying to equalise in the 80th minute!

Diving: Only seen 1 card given for diving. I could have given 20 cards for this offence in the Italy-USA game alone!

Our own dear Graham Poll made a great effort to keep up the average, by giving 3 yellows to one player before sending him off.

What can be done? I would suggest:

1. Only the captain can talk to the referee, and dissent is handled as in rugby.
2. Introduce a sin-bin. At least it will give the refs something else to do rather than hand out cards like confetti.

I've watched too many games at this tournament ruined by the ref. Are these really the best referees in the world? Or are they the few not about to be indicted for match fixing?

[lotusfan]

Ive been advocating the application of rugby rules in football for years, sin bin and dissent especially.
If you try any of that on a rugby league pitch you'd soon see the error of your ways.

[oxford drinker]

I agree, Raify. The respect rugby players are obliged to show to the referee is reflected in the discipline that normally exists within the game.

As for the best referees, we would probably class Graham Poll as the best we have, and yet under a bit of pressure he can make fundamental mistakes which will probably cost him the chance of refereeing the semi or final (subject to England's progress, of course). I'm sure there are people round the world, esp in Croatia, thinking "Is this the best you've got?"

I think we'd all agree, especially if you watch football live and then watch highlights on tv, the one view you get of an incident means your perception of what happened and who is committed the offence is not necessarily a correct one. The numererous tv cameras make a ref's job almost impossible, but i think they prove the ref right on more occasions that not.

[Raify]

If there was a crack down on dissent, then yes, a few games would end up abandoned with 5 players on the pitch but even the thickest premiersh1t would get the message in the end.

And another thing. What the dickens is the 5th official for? He's sitting there, watching the game on a monitor yet he can't offer advice / insight to the other officials because he's not allowed a Madonna head-set. What's the point?

Alan Shearer cracked a good one last night:

the incredibly dull pundit said:

What have Croatia and Graham Poll got in common? Neither of them are going into the last 16.

[nel]

oxford drinker said:

I think we'd all agree, especially if you watch football live and then watch highlights on tv, the one view you get of an incident means your perception of what happened and who is committed the offence is not necessarily a correct one. The numererous tv cameras make a ref's job almost impossible, but i think they prove the ref right on more occasions that not.

Yes but this is just an argument for an off-field ref with access to the slow-mo replays. The effects of success or otherwise in these international competitions on a country's morale is significant enough to merit the use of technology to allow correct and fair decisions on critical issues such as claimed goals or fouls in the area.

Back on thread topic, what irritates me even more is the complete lack of consistency. Some refs are raving trigger-happy and give cards for offences that other refs seem to ignore. It is also down to the team though - Brazil last night played a very clean game just because they don't have to foul the opposition to win!

[fozzi]

In just 90 minutes yesterday, Graham Poll managed to re-affirm what all fans, players and pundits have known for years... the standard of premiership referring is woeful!!!!

He was so completely out of his depth when it got fiesty!

Between them, the officials last night missed two stonewall penalties, failed to send a player off on two yellows and awarded a goal to Australia when Kewell was offside from the flick on... but hey, thank god they got that last one wrong and justice was seen to be done!!!!!

I'm guessing Graham has already checked out of his hotel... muppet!

[Raify]

I particularly liked his hissy fit when a Croatian player touched his arm.

Graham Poll might have said:

How very dare you!

[gbbird]

I agree. The number of cards and free kicks is ruining the fluecny of the games. It seems there is zero tolerance on almost everything now.

And the number of bad (indeed completely wrong) decisions by some of the refs is unforgivable

[BliarOut]

Is it time to give the ref the benefit of watching an instant replay before deciding? We all know what actually happened, the only person who doesn't have the same information we do is the ref.

[Raify]

BliarOut said:

Is it time to give the ref the benefit of watching an instant replay before deciding? We all know what actually happened, the only person who doesn't have the same information we do is the ref.

In dead-ball situations, absolutely. After all, France might not be struggling to qualify for the second round if someone had told the ref what millions of people saw clearly on TV (scoring against S. Korea).

[fozzi]

I'm sure that you won't hear any argument from the Spanish after the debacle in 2002!!