Competence of the officials

[Shuggie]

The whole thing where players place the ball on the absolute extreme of the corner arc, and sometimes marginally outside, is so ridiculous anyway. They've only got to kick it about 40 yards, its not like they're struggling to make the distance into the box is it ? It is so utterly POINTLESS placing the ball almost outside the arc its actually laughable. What possible difference will stealing a few millimetres make to their corner kick ? When the ball is carefully placed outside the arc they invariably blast it straight into the near-post defender, or hoyke it miles over the whole bloody lot of them anyway. Bravo.

I can only conclude that cheating comes so naturally to footballers, its just second nature. So they'll even do it when its actually pointless and makes no difference. As long as they can get away with it.

They are taught to cheat from an early age. Simples.

- defenders in the wall inch forward with ickle steps like 4 year old ballerinas
- a goalkeeper barged on the goal line always take the resultant free kick somewhere around the penalty spot
- when the ball goes out by corner flag, the defender always takes throw in at least 15 yards up the line
- "he felt a touch so had every right to go down" Yeah, right!
- ballboys encouraged to not do their job

As for one substitute walking off the field only for another to do the same once the first one gets to the touchline ... unbelievable.

Huddersfield started to waste time once they scored on Friday. Blackpool from the first minute.

It is increasingly difficult to watch football and not be irritated. But I suspect it doesn't worry those under 20 who have never known any different.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think Blackpool deserved a draw yesterday and I'm not making excuses, but in the first half the referee was weak, and I fancy if three Blackpool players had gone into the break on cards - rather than just the one - then the outcome might have been different.

There seems to be a gradual trend amongst referees towards playing the advantage - I've noticed a lot more of it this season - and I think that a good thing, but it does mean fouls will go unpunished and players who would be carded for accumulating fouls are less likely to do so. Yesterday's ref seemed to be straight from the "I'm going to play advantage if it kills me" school.

 

[Easy 10]

They are taught to cheat from an early age. Simples.

- defenders in the wall inch forward with ickle steps like 4 year old ballerinas
- a goalkeeper barged on the goal line always take the resultant free kick somewhere around the penalty spot
- when the ball goes out by corner flag, the defender always takes throw in at least 15 yards up the line
- "he felt a touch so had every right to go down" Yeah, right!
- ballboys encouraged to not do their job

As for one substitute walking off the field only for another to do the same once the first one gets to the touchline ... unbelievable.

Huddersfield started to waste time once they scored on Friday. Blackpool from the first minute.

It is increasingly difficult to watch football and not be irritated. But I suspect it doesn't worry those under 20 who have never known any different.

Yup, its ingrained in them. Its done so casually they don't even know they're doing it.

Ball goes out for a throw, almost every time, both players will put their hand up to claim it. Its a reflex. One of them will know damn well it came off him, but if he can trick the ref into a mistake so he gives it the wrong way, just on the offchance, then so much the better. If he makes the right call then meh. Try again next time.

Its so casually accepted now that it barely registers, but it IS still cheating. The culture on a football pitch is to try and con your way to every little decision, strive for every tiny advantage, no matter how small or insignificant it may be. Absolutely MUST try to cheat, to trick, to con. Its natural.

I know we've seen some shocking refs this season (every season), but I honestly don't envy them one bit when there's 22 blokes doing their level best to try and con a decision out of you for 95 minutes.

 

[Acker79]

From the Laws of the Game.

 

[Acker79]

They are taught to cheat from an early age. Simples.

- defenders in the wall inch forward with ickle steps like 4 year old ballerinas
- a goalkeeper barged on the goal line always take the resultant free kick somewhere around the penalty spot
- when the ball goes out by corner flag, the defender always takes throw in at least 15 yards up the line
- "he felt a touch so had every right to go down" Yeah, right!
- ballboys encouraged to not do their job

As for one substitute walking off the field only for another to do the same once the first one gets to the touchline ... unbelievable.

Huddersfield started to waste time once they scored on Friday. Blackpool from the first minute.

It is increasingly difficult to watch football and not be irritated. But I suspect it doesn't worry those under 20 who have never known any different.

From the laws of the game:

Free kick inside the penalty area
Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:
• all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
• all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
• the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
• a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point inside
that area​

 

[Everest]

From the Laws of the Game.

View attachment 53006

Taking it further, the one ball I've moved is still in the arc, even though no part of the ball is touching the line.

Maybe we should see if we can take our corners from row C. The forwards might have a chance then.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

I think Blackpool deserved a draw yesterday and I'm not making excuses, but in the first half the referee was weak, and I fancy if three Blackpool players had gone into the break on cards - rather than just the one - then the outcome might have been different.

There seems to be a gradual trend amongst referees towards playing the advantage - I've noticed a lot more of it this season - and I think that a good thing, but it does mean fouls will go unpunished and players who would be carded for accumulating fouls are less likely to do so. Yesterday's ref seemed to be straight from the "I'm going to play advantage if it kills me" school.

yes, but doesn't stop them taking action in next break in play ?

 

[El Turi]

Blackpool clearly knew the ref was weak and took advantage of this from the off. I don't think he was the reason we didn't win though but he made it an infuriating game to watch.

I don't think refereeing is as hard as people make out and referees get paid very well. It just seems like a lot of them have no basic understanding of the game.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

We are damned lucky that a couple of recent Refs have been quite lenient and not reacted to some of our play acting too. Ok we haven't sunk as low as some opponents cynical time wasting etc but Ulloa, Bruno and KLL all have come perilously close to getting second yellow cards. Imagine them being unavailable for the final games and/or play offs through suspension - the meltdown on NSC would be epic.

 

[Shuggie]

From the laws of the game:

Free kick inside the penalty area
Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:
• all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
• all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
• the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
• a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point inside
that area​

Fair enough ... embarrassingly for me the law was changed in 1992. But the general tedium of cry-baby football is still, er, tedious.

 

[Everest]

- defenders in the wall inch forward with ickle steps like 4 year old ballerinas
- a goalkeeper barged on the goal line always take the resultant free kick somewhere around the penalty spot
- when the ball goes out by corner flag, the defender always takes throw in at least 15 yards up the line
- "he felt a touch so had every right to go down" Yeah, right!
- ballboys encouraged to not do their job

From the laws of the game:

Free kick inside the penalty area
Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:
• all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
• all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
• the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
• a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point inside
that area​

Fair enough ... embarrassingly for me the law was changed in 1992. But the general tedium of cry-baby football is still, er, tedious.

The 'goal area' refers to the 6-yard box, so the free kick shouldn't be taken from outside of that box.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I'm pretty sure Lualua is not a great fan of reading, but he should read The Boy who Cried Wolf. Aesop could teach him a thing or two.

 

[mlg57]

Do you think it might be a good ides that now we have TV decisions on goals if necessary, how about allowing each team 3 appeals during the game where they (probably through the captain) could question decisions? In each case a TV ref would then consult what happened and report back to the on pitch referee. I don't think that would take too long.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Just leave it as it is. Referees are always going to make mistakes at some point, everyone does.

I don't personally buy into the whole 'they're worse than they used to be argument' either, every decision now is gone over by a team of pundits who have multiple camera angles and slow motion on hand, making a marginal decision that would otherwise be accepted as 'it happens' turn into a rolling saga over referee incompetence.

For a better idea of what I mean, wait for the next Allardyce interview and the classic 'I've not seen the replay yet but if it's a mistake...' tirade. If he, being the self-appointed font of refereeing knowledge that he is, couldn't tell whether it was the right decision without reviewing it, how the hell can a ref be expected to get it right every time?

*deep breath*

Edit; Also, many players are cheating sods.

 

[drew]

Do you think it might be a good ides that now we have TV decisions on goals if necessary, how about allowing each team 3 appeals during the game where they (probably through the captain) could question decisions? In each case a TV ref would then consult what happened and report back to the on pitch referee. I don't think that would take too long.

Do you go to much football? I ask because we don't have TV decisions on goals in any league in this country. There is a Hawkeye system in the Premier League but it doesn't involve someone reviewing a video. It is instantaneous. If the ball is over the line the ref is notified via a special watch.

Do you honestly want to sit around for several minutes waiting for another pair of eyes to cast their view over incidents on the pitch and in many cases the would still remain a matter of opinion! It happens in cricket, Rugby and Tennis because those games have natural breaks at which point a review can take place. Football is different.

 

[BensGrandad]

Why if they can come up with Tv review and a decision within 30 secs on whether or not a try has been scored in rugby can they not do the same with goals and penalties in football.

 

[Acker79]

Why if they can come up with Tv review and a decision within 30 secs on whether or not a try has been scored in rugby can they not do the same with goals and penalties in football.

They don't need to with goals, they have hawk eye.

With penalties there is no clear explanation, and it leads to the usual debate about video replay. If limited to penalties, you get the argument - what if the ref is not sure and there's no natural break in play*? Does he give it, look at the video replay, have it be inconclusive and he has to stick with a decision he only gave because it gave him the chance to look at a replay? Does he give a drop ball in the penalty area giving the attacking team a good chance of getting a shot because he was wrong to stop pay after the defence had deftly tackled the attacking team and by rights should not be having to defend an attack? Do they just give the ball back to the defending keeper to take a free kick, meaning the attacking team are disadvantaged because the ref wasn't sure they hadn't been fouled?

*The laws in football make the referee the ultimate authority of any given match. The laws are written such that a foul is a foul only if "in the opinion of the referee" the challenge was careless, reckless, used excessive force or was somehow unsporting. It doesn't matter what you or I think, what the pundits think, what a panel of experts think.

We often see incidents on TV where even after almost a week of watching video replays and discussion with those involved, the head of the referees, and all those pundits and journalist commenting on it, come soccer Saturday, jeff and the boys still don't come to a consensus. Just because someone watches a video replay, doesn't mean they will all agree on what is the "right" decision, so we can't assume that the main ref would interpret the event the same way if he had seen the video - it could be one of those 50/50 decisions that one ref gives and another wouldn't, so to keep within the laws of the game, it has to be the main ref who watches a replay, which complicates whichever system is brought in.

Yes, linesmen sometimes wave for things that refs don't give. In that situation it is still the referee's decision, he can see the linesman's position as well as his own and have an understanding of whose position was better, and can overrule his assistant (as they sometimes do with throw ins and goal kicks/corners and offsides). He can't know what a video ref is seeing to judge whether his view is more reliable, or if they are just disagreeing on a finer point of the laws of the game.


I imagine they will eventually come up with a way to factor all this in, but for now, that complexity in how to introduce it, plus a degree of technophobic, is why we don't have video reviews for penalties.