Referees

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3973]

Are football referees the weakest officials in sport?

[jonasjuice 0]

Howard Webb's pretty hunky.

[Andrew 4857]

They're the most scrutinised I think. Premier league refereeing is nowhere near the standard it should be though

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3973]

I saw the Aviva premiership final today and at the end of the first half the ref sent the Northampton captain off for swearing at him. In the Bayer v Dortmund game both Ribery and Dante should be off.

[jonasjuice 0]

Well if he hadn't been a prick he wouldn't have been sent off.

[essembeeofsunderland 811]

Premier League referees cheat.

[KeithJ 0]

Our referees are unfortunately under constant scrutiny due to a lot of factors in terms of money, importance of results. Today's EPL refs are surrounded by millionaires who play football however the FA and indeed UEFA and FIFA don't give referees the support they need to help make correct judgements. In today's game offside, goal line and off the ball incidents could and should be cleared up with the use of technology at the match however this is not done in the game. What the fourth officials do in the European games I will never know. This game could be made a lot fairer if decisions were called correctly. Newcastle and Cisse got robbed a few times this season.

 

We have to remember that referees are only human, we all have bad days at the office and we will make mistakes but in most jobs, we have technology to avoid mistakes all together it's just our football governing body decided not to go down that path. I personally think football needs a new and fresh approach at the top level.

[Brock Manson 0]

If you have Mike Riley as the head of your organisation, of course refereeing in the EPL is going to be dire.

 

It all stems from the top, and if piss poor 'officials' are heading the sorry bunch then there will be no improvement.

 

The gutless FA protect themselves so our refs make the unpopular and all too often wrong decisions with the knowledge that they're on their own. I reckon most don't give a shit after all the abuse and just turn up for the money. The refs are getting worse and worse with each season though, and it's frustrating to say the least.

[LooneyToony 41]

All "major sports" in North America have the benefit of instant replay for crucial decisions to get things right and no one is complaining, in fact, we want more of it.

 

Also, as far as North Americans are concerned when looking at footy referees and rules, they have to make some of the harshest decisions in all of sports. Red card. Penalty. What other sport would let one team play all or some of the game a man down or two down? Harsh. Too much for humans to judge fairly week in week out if you ask me.

[Kid Dynamite 7171]

I see a rugby player got a red card yesterday for calling the ref a 'fucking cheat'. He's just been given an 11 week ban and can't represent his country in that time

[jonasjuice 0]

More difficult to referee than other sports due to the lack of technology as mentioned and the fact the game is so high paced and the fastest, trickiest players of the lot are constantly trying to fool you.

 

Not convinced they're getting worse btw, not sure what that's based on.

[Meenzer 15719]

Ref's in football are in a bit of a bind it's one of their own making though, they let the play acting and the crowding around them/bitching get so outta hand it's done on mass now, if they'd taken no shite and just handed out yellows anytime it'd happen, it'd stop quick.

 

Aye. Unfortunately that particular ship sailed at this precise moment, if it hadn't done so already:

 

[luckyluke 2]

As Meenzer says a lot of the great things about rugby officiating could simply not happen in today's game. You couldn't mike refs up because as much as you'd hope it would discourage players from swearing, in reality it wouldn't and would therefore be unbroacastable.

[luckyluke 2]

That's the problem, the "they'd soon learn" bit. It would take a spate if red cards/disciplinary measures to "teach" them this and would only come after a whole lot of unbroadcastable obscenities.

[Kitman 2207]

I dunno how things are currently set up but imo elite referees should be full time, professionally schooled and trained, and paid really well. If they get old or shit then they should get the boot and someone else comes in to the elite group. They should rotate as linesmen so we don't get numpties running the line. They should get the full support of technology and key moments (goals, penalties etc) should be subject to review by a 3rd official. Performances should be continually assessed, there's too much at stake these days to leave it to the old way of doing things.

 

I also think that any serious foul play or diving should be punished retrospectively whether or not seen by an official unless the transgressors were already punished for it during the match.

[Gemmill 46031]

That's the problem, the "they'd soon learn" bit. It would take a spate if red cards/disciplinary measures to "teach" them this and would only come after a whole lot of unbroadcastable obscenities.

 

When you first bring it in you don't broadcast it. But you review the tapes and you fine and ban every player that swears at the ref. Do that until it becomes broadcastable.

[donaldstott 0]

I dunno how things are currently set up but imo elite referees should be full time, professionally schooled and trained, and paid really well. If they get old or shit then they should get the boot and someone else comes in to the elite group. They should rotate as linesmen so we don't get numpties running the line. They should get the full support of technology and key moments (goals, penalties etc) should be subject to review by a 3rd official. Performances should be continually assessed, there's too much at stake these days to leave it to the old way of doing things.

 

 

That's exactly what it is like nowadays. They don't get elite referees to do the line, that would ultimately mean worse people in the middle. Having said that the prem linesman will be grade one refs, capable of reffing at div one.

 

There is a huge difference between rugby and football refereeing. As alluded to the pace is far higher, play invariably is not centred around one spot (a ruck or maul) so they are making decisions at much higher speeds at greater distances. That's going to mean more mistakes.

 

The trial by referees by TV doesn't help, at super slow mo, from the best angle it's obvious that it hit a hand. When the ball is travelling at 60 mph and you get one look and you aren't 100% whether its chest or top or arm. That's not easy.

[aimaad22 4222]

I dunno how things are currently set up but imo elite referees should be full time, professionally schooled and trained, and paid really well. If they get old or shit then they should get the boot and someone else comes in to the elite group. They should rotate as linesmen so we don't get numpties running the line. They should get the full support of technology and key moments (goals, penalties etc) should be subject to review by a 3rd official. Performances should be continually assessed, there's too much at stake these days to leave it to the old way of doing things.

 

I also think that any serious foul play or diving should be punished retrospectively whether or not seen by an official unless the transgressors were already punished for it during the match.

 

Agree with this.

 

It is a horribly difficult job though, especially with all the diving and acting going around nowadays. Least the refs should do is show some consistency though. Fact that similar incidents often get different treatment from the same ref doesnt help their cause.

[Monkeys Fist 43068]

Isn't/wasn't someone on here a ref?

[Gemmill 46031]

Is it not the poster above, Mr Stott?

[donaldstott 0]

Aye, 'twas me. I'm a lowly Sunday league ref, which means the players are moving slower than I am and they realise going in with studs showing is gonna cost them fifty quid, so tend to stay on their feet.

 

 

[Andrew 4857]

Biggest pain in the balls is the Ref's coming from a lot of the areas we play teams from and knowing them all on a first name/nickname basis

 

Thats been, by far, my biggest gripe with amateur refs.

[Kid Dynamite 7171]

It's always going to be like that unless you bus them in from other counties though

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3973]

Refs either bottle it or choose to ignore the rules so they don't halt the flow of the game and in my hugely limited experience it always comes back to bite them on the arse.

[essembeeofsunderland 811]

With reference to the photo of D'Urso being chased off the pitch,the plan worked because Stam was not shown a red card for bringing down Middlesboro's Juninho,when last man.If my memory serves me well,only Beckham received a card for the chasing incident.By not brandishing a red card to Stam,and only one yellow card to the chasing pack,D'Urso cheated the smoggies.Referees cheat.