Referee standards

[Acker79]

Also, the lawmakers of the game have progressively made things more difficult for refs and linos by complicating what used to be simple laws, the most prime example being offside. The original rules were mainly about facts - ie is there less then 2 defenders between the player and the goal when the ball is played forward. Now the officials have to add in a whole lot of interpretation - is the player 'active', or was he when the ball was played?

I think people have rose-tinted views of how wonderful the offside rule used to be. It wasn't changed on a whim, it was changed because people who were in an offside position weren't always interferring with the game, yet goals would be disallowed, and this led to complaints. So the rule has evolved in an attempt to take this into consideration.

 

[cuthbert]

I quite often don't understand or don't agree with refereeing decisions, I'm also often wrong, but not always. When I played I always thanked the referee after the match and when I was captain always ensured there was a drink in the bar for them after the match. I think our referees and linesmen do a pretty good job and are certainly better than they were in the 1960s. I'd like to see referees get better and some like Joe Ross and Paul Danson I think are poor. When I was a kid we were told that "the referee is always right", if managers, players and fans accepted their decisions with better grace, we'd all be a lot better off.

 

[Mellotron]

Yes,refs and linos make mistakes. They always have and they always will. One thing is consistent, fans will always criticise the officials when their team has played poorly, you very rarely hear criticism when the team has won.

But the ref's decision made a HUGE difference to our result against Orient. We weren't playing poorly, we were playing VERY well. The ref completely took the game away from us.

I understand your general point though and I have stated a few times here when the ref has been rubbish and we have won. Stockport 4-2 a while back for example, the ref was utterly WOEFUL.

 

[The French Mistress]

That failure to play advantage is probably the most suspect decision I have seen. There have obviously been far worse but this looked the most corrupt as he actually waited to see where the ball went, saw Sparrow through on goal and then blew. All I can think was that the early kickoff and poor floodlights meant he didn't see Sparrow but other than that, it was inexcusable and indefensible. The bookings of their players was ludicrously jobsworth as well.

If he didn't see Sparrow, how could he play the advantage?

 

[The French Mistress]

I quite often don't understand or don't agree with refereeing decisions, I'm also often wrong, but not always. When I played I always thanked the referee after the match and when I was captain always ensured there was a drink in the bar for them after the match. I think our referees and linesmen do a pretty good job and are certainly better than they were in the 1960s. I'd like to see referees get better and some like Joe Ross and Paul Danson I think are poor. When I was a kid we were told that "the referee is always right", if managers, players and fans accepted their decisions with better grace, we'd all be a lot better off.

Yes, but we've moved on 50 years old chap !!!

 

[The Great Cornholio]

If he didn't see Sparrow, how could he play the advantage?

I was guessing why he would pause and then blow. I find it hard to believe he failed to see a player he was looking directly at but it is the only explaination I can think of other than corruption/massive incompetence.

 

[cuthbert]

Yes, but we've moved on 50 years old chap !!!

Indeed we have, 50 yrs ago many referees were so unfit they rarely left the centre circle, players like Setters, Ron Harris and many others were allowed to kick skilful players without the referee taking any effective action. Referees are much better than they were.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Please see my current job, on my profile for my bias on this!

Standards have gone up, along with the professionalism of officials.

 

[Philzo-93]

Please see my current job, on my profile for my bias on this!

Standards have gone up, along with the professionalism of officials.

As a fellow referee myself I complete agree with you! Sometimes, I get pissed off by some prats shouting at the ref when, really, their decision was spot on.
For example, Bennett clearly tripped over an Orient player to which one fan shouted constantly at the ref, to which I had to say "shut up, he was right, no watch the Albion".

The ref had a good game, sorry lads, he did!

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

As a fellow referee myself I complete agree with you! Sometimes, I get pissed off by some prats shouting at the ref when, really, their decision was spot on.
For example, Bennett clearly tripped over an Orient player to which one fan shouted constantly at the ref, to which I had to say "shut up, he was right, no watch the Albion".

The ref had a good game, sorry lads, he did!

Some people argue with officals about the LAWS for the sake of it, it seems fashionable to argue with the man in black ( or what ever colour)

 

[Philzo-93]

Some people argue with officals about the LAWS for the sake of it, it seems fashionable to argue with the man in black ( or what ever colour)

Yet they probably never even read the Laws of the Game

Last night gave a penalty for a push to which the linesman (a dad, who's kid was the one who pushed the player down) said:

"It's not a goalscoring opportunity therefore, it's not a penatly"

 

[cuthbert]

Thank you for your comments Brighton4Cambridge3 and Philzo-93, I think we are lucky that people like you are prepared to referee football matches. At the risk of sounding like an old buffer in a blazer, I only wish you were treated with the courtesy enjoyed by officials in other sports.

 

[BensGrandad]

My view and this is trying to be subjective rather than critical is that the game now is so fast and the players so fit that a linesman in each half of the pitch is unable to keep up with play and hus fulfill his duties of assisting the refereee. I believe the time has come when we need four assistants one to operate between the half way line and the edge of the penalty box and one to operateon the other side of the pitch from the edge of the penalty box and the goal line. This could then be brought in at all levels of football at no great cost and would make the need of goallline technology less essential. I habe always been of the opinion that anything that improves the game and makes the likelhood of mistakes less is for the good of the game but must be maintained at all levels not designed just for The Premiership or La Ligue. I cannot find where it is, but I remember reading a survey done at a university that maintained that ater studying about 50000 matches at various levels that 90% of offside decisions are wrong, either given or not given simply because the human eye cannot accomodate seeing both the movement of the player and the kicking of the ball together.

 

[Fef]

I agree with your view about the speed of the game and fitness levels etc., but two referees assistants in each half will not address the problem of 'the human eye [being unable to] accommodate seeing both the movement of the player and the kicking of the ball together, as a split second offside can only be determined by one person and not two.

 

[Philzo-93]

Thank you for your comments Brighton4Cambridge3 and Philzo-93, I think we are lucky that people like you are prepared to referee football matches. At the risk of sounding like an old buffer in a blazer, I only wish you were treated with the courtesy enjoyed by officials in other sports.

Our pleasure cuthbert.

 

[Acker79]

I believe the time has come when we need four assistants one to operate between the half way line and the edge of the penalty box and one to operateon the other side of the pitch from the edge of the penalty box and the goal line. This could then be brought in at all levels of football at no great cost and would make the need of goallline technology less essential.

Except manpower. With so many games struggling to find enough officials to cover them, with premier league referees having to officiate more matches each than they used to, where are the extra officials going to come from?

I cannot find where it is, but I remember reading a survey done at a university that maintained that ater studying about 50000 matches at various levels that 90% of offside decisions are wrong, either given or not given simply because the human eye cannot accomodate seeing both the movement of the player and the kicking of the ball together.

Wrong way round:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/662691.stm

They get 90% right.

 

[BensGrandad]

Except manpower. With so many games struggling to find enough officials to cover them, with premier league referees having to officiate more matches each than they used to, where are the extra officials going to come from?




Wrong way round:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/662691.stm

They get 90% right.

The survey carried out by a USA university definitely said that 90% were wrong.

 

[Titanic]

Except manpower. With so many games struggling to find enough officials to cover them, with premier league referees having to officiate more matches each than they used to, where are the extra officials going to come from?




Wrong way round:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/662691.stm

They get 90% right.

If I only got 90% of my job right... I'd be sacked.