Question Number: 23623

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/5/2010

RE: Competitive Adult

Chris of Bathurst, NSW Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23594

I only posed the comments, because of a comment by another 'poster' about how hard the USA side was dealt with by this referee.

I know how hard it is to see everything and also try to get everything right. I sympathise with all the referees at this WC as they are video taped and pulled to pieces by every so-called expert. Every decision is called into question.

The outcry in Australia over the Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell dimissals is almost laughable. The referee has almost no time to react and has to get the decision right. Kewell handled the ball (although a leading Aussie ref claims that in a similar situation he would have called play on)and Cahill shouldn't have jumped in like he did.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
For many years I have been a supporter of the use of technology. I have watched like every one else how instant replays have changed the power balance between referees and everyone else. The referee at this level know better than most about what is the correct decision but instant replays provide information not available to the referees. That is a fundamental flaw in modern televised soccer. The whole world within 10 seconds can clearly see the Lampard shot go over the line yet the two officials given the responsibility of making the decision are not given that same information.
On a Sunday afternoon in the local park the referee will make a call on a Lampard type situation. The referee if he sees it properly will award it while another with a poor view will not. That's part of the game at this level and always will be. The referee will say that it was not over in his opinion and while there will be debate it will not be 'wrong'.
Refereeing mistakes are part of the game, always have been and matter less than the performance of the teams on the day. Germany's win over England would have happened without the incident. However controversies now take the lion share of media coverage. Some games are so poor that the only item of interest is a refereeing mistake. This then feeds supporters conversations and outrage. Instant replays help stoke that fire yet if used properly may help to reduce controversies. What is to stop FIFA placing a 5th Official in a TV monitor room, miked up to the referee so the referee is in a position to ask that official 'Is there any reason why I can/cannot award a goal?' That official would be a retired senior FIFA referee like Mr Collina who said he wanted to continue after reaching 45. He could have easily have said to Mr Jorge Larrionda in the England game 'The ball has clearly clrossed the line and you should award a goal'.
So soccer has a fundamental question to answer at the televised game level 'Does it want to continue to deal with controversies fuelled by instant replay or does it want to use instant replay to deal with it.' I personally think that the game has no choice.