Officiating decisions

Skoorb

Skoorb

Alert Team
So after finally seeing Leicester see what it is like to suffer at the decisions of the referee once again City are unable to get through 90 minutes without themselves copping another poor one themselves from the ref and a number of questionable calls by the linesman. Spurs twice, awful officiating during the Everton fixtures........there are others so please name them.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, I don't think the officials actually meet in secret to plan how to derail City, but nevertheless as the season has progressed I have seriously started to question the impartiality of the officials.

Before yesterday City were only one of three teams not to have conceded a penalty in the league. I should have put money on such a decision going against us as with the team's deadlocked it was the harshest of calls to say that Sterling deliberately handled the ball. Clattenburg's delay in awarding the spot kick was telling in my eyes - I almost feel he had some communication in his ear but that may be paranoia kicking in. Beyond that yesterday Aguero suffered some very, very questionable offside calls with the last one being so patently wrong it was unbelievable.

Every fan can get one eyed in their views ("robust tackle by your team vs clear foul by an opponent) but it does seem to me that we have suffered more from referees allowing opponents to get away with sh*t this year than in previous seasons.

What do you think? Serial incompetence? Lack of accountability? Time for video replays? Personal bias affecting their decisions?
 
Referee's do not meet in secret and plan results however, they should be made more accountable for their decisions. Why can't they appear in front of the cameras post match and tell us why they made a certain decision.
 
I am an advocate of the use of video technology. I think the time has come, in fact I think it has been here for a while.

The usual argument is that it would 'stop the flow of the game'. Given that in an average football match the ball is actually only in play for approximately 60-65minutes out of the 90 I am not convinced this holds water.

The arguments over free kicks, the mass scrums that occurs whenever a free kick is awarded witching shooting distance, the oh so slow goal kicks and tiresome 'who am I going to throw the ball too....err....ummmm....", the deliberate added time substitutions ---- all create delays and stoppages.

Video replays are almost instant. Yesterday might not be a crystal clear example but given the amount of time between the award of the penalty and the time the spot kick was taken......has that been subject to reviews by the fourth official I am pretty much sure that it would not have made any difference to the time gap but it might have ensured the correct decision was made or confirmed. The absence of providing referees with this support when it is available is almost head scrtachingly odd.

Add in the ability of the officials to stop the clock ("time off") and the problem goes away - no game time would be lost. And the fictional "added minutes" nonsense would disappear.

I don't think football is unique. The official resistance to introduction of technology like this is bordering on Neanderthal.
 
They Technology would slow the game, but in what the fans would want is justice and camera virtually do instant replays from all angles and a video ref could decide.

The other thing is, the inconsistency with time added on, I think we should go down the root of Ruby where the ref indicates time off and on, this way you know what time is left and would put an end to waiting because the ball is about to be crossed into the box, because once time is up like in rugby it is only when the ball is dead that the final whistle should be blown.

I think Blatter et al have delayed any such action down these lines, I wonder why?
 
As you may know, I also follow Rugby League.
Buzz's point is valid regarding timekeeping, as the British game followed the Australian one in that a clock is displayed in the stadium, showing the time to play. It would be one less thing for the referee to consider.

As far as a video referee is concerned, that's another matter completely. It's been in League since 1996, and been tweeked over the years, and it still causes controversy. A bit of thought needs to go into that one.
 
I agree Colin, and the trouble with controversy is sometimes because you can't see the ball or have that ability to actually prove certain offences whereas football is more a black and white in most cases.

Yes there would be controversy in cases of penalties because if you ask a panel of judges was it a pen, half might say yes or no, but like cricket if there is a doubt then you go back to the on field ref and take his ruling.
 
I have long thought that the time keeping could be changed - the officials are all miked up so it is simple to say "time off/time on" for significant delays (e.g. injuries requiring treatment) but manage other issues such as time wasting at free kicks and goal kicks by using the laws and issuing yellow cards to players for the offence of 'delaying the restart' :doh!:

The issue of video replays etc does have issues for sure but I am convinced they could be worked out.

FIFA's resistance to even trialling such technology is telling indeed Buzz.
 
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