World Cup Refs: Could Technology Help Them?
Published June 29, 2006
It has been almost three weeks of non-stop breathtaking action from Germany, and finally a much needed break for all sweaty souls around the globe. This is by far one of the best World Cups ever, although the officiating charade continues at an alarming regularity.
In case you missed, FIFA has shown red cards to the whistle blowers who stood apart from the rest of the pack. The talented Englishman Mr. Graham Poll and Russian Mr. Valentin Ivanov, whose whistle-blow jobs are now a part of football folklore, were sent off to catch their home bound flights after receiving the FIFA dubious distinction awards. There have been unconfirmed reports of tears rolling down the eyes of the FIFA president Sepp Blatter watching them leave. Heartbreaking.
We will miss the fine protectors of fair play.
In a related note, Germany's Markus Merk who awarded that feather touch penalty for Ghana against the US has been retained and likely to be seen on the field again at some point in the tournament.
I will admit, I was kinda worn out by watching all the catch-me-if-you-can superstars and some nonsensical spineless pieces of officiating that would fit anywhere between comical and blasphemous.
Look, referees are humans and do mistakes. It has always been a part of the game, and will continue to do so. And for every game played there will always be a side, fuming, and another, smiling end to end.
The truth is, every team has been a victim of poor officiating. And the beneficiary of poor officiating. What goes around comes around.
FIFA has laid down the rules of fair play and the officials are asked to follow them. While following the rules with eyes closed is one option, following the same goddamn rules with more sensitivity and contextual merits is the one more appropriate.
As a case to the point, the game between Ukraine and Switzerland saw 45 fouls committed and only one yellow card shown. Compare to the one between Portugal and Holland: only 25 fouls, but 16 yellow and 4 red cards.
I understand it's a difficult situation for the referees to find that elusive balance to maintain the flow of the game, yet also punish the violators of fair play and make decisions within nanoseconds without the benefit of technology to correct erroneous calls.
People have suggested to use video replays for controversial foul calls and goal-line technology to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line or not. An obvious problem is that they would inevitably slow down the game and goal-line technology — tried and tested by FIFA — could never work with 100% efficiency.
Nevertheless, FIFA cannot shy away from it's responsibility to help the referees to make better decisions on the field. So far FIFA has steadfastly refused to embrace technology and Sepp Blatter, insists that it will take away the human factor of the game:
Football must be keep its human face, and its human errors. As soon as we use technology to decide what is wrong and what is right, then football would lose its emotion and passion, and it would not be the game of the people.I tend to agree with him. It would be foolish to allow the game hijacked by robotic loonies because this is a game of the people for the people and by the people. We are better off keeping that way.
- World Cup Refs: Could Technology Help Them?
- Published: June 29, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Sports
- Filed Under: Sports: Football (English)
- Part of a feature: World Cup Diary
- Writer: Q Bit
- Q Bit's BC Writer page
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Comments on this articleComments
RJ:
I think it's safe to pick Germany and Portugal. However, after Brazil lost to France, safety of any pick is in serious trouble.
Italy beat Germany a few months ago..beat no they got pasted by the italians. The ITalians with their big scandal in mind are extra sharp I think.
France , I hope they didn't peak yesterday and that they will make the Portugal match a match.
Portugal has a good team but I dont know who the suspended people are in their next match. Against France they will need every top player available so Deco for example.
Germany , I didnt think much of them at the start of the tournament , but they have grown but beating italy....I dont know if they can.
so much for those predictions, RJ. Hope you're not a gambling man. Close on the Germany/Italy game though.
Eh, give'm a break on those predictions. Those were tough matches to call. Especially, when you have the Uruguay Ref that robbed the USA Team.
It's not so much technology for the refs that concerns me, as much as fairness to the US. I'm sure this a laughable request, granted the USA foriegn policy record.
The United State side is up with there with the best of the world's sides, now. The Italians have conceded but one goal in the entire World Cup, this time around. That goal had been by hard work of the US. Sure it had been an own goal on the Italians part, but the Americans held their own a man down to bring home a result of 1-1 against a side that is undoubtedly at the top.
Victory for the Italians on Sunday.
"My predictions:
Germany over Italy in penalty kicks...
Portugal torches France 3-1..."
- RJ Elliott, comment #1
"Ben Roethlesberger's rookie season was a fluke, I predict he will not be that good next year."
- RJ Elliott, after the 2004-05 NFL season
Could the World Cup refs use technology to help them?! Um, like, fucking A they could and should. I've never seen worse and blatantly foul officiating in any sport as in this World Cup tournament, including the final. The Italians played disgustingly dirty throughout the whole World Cup and were barely called on any obvious fouls. The refs in World Cup Football, and football/soccer across the world are NOTORIOUS for accepting bribes in order to fix the outcome of the games.
The goal that Italy scored in the World Cup was scored illegally since the Italian who scored the goal had his entire arm wrapped around the French defender and was pushing him down. But, of course, the Italian didn't get called for it. All we hear is that the penalty kick awarded to France in the 10th minute shouldn't have been a penalty.
Regardless of Zidane's ridiculous head-butt, the fact is the refs did NOT see it happen but only saw it on the big giant screen, which is NOT permissible in soccer. What Zidane did was surely stupid but this final was FIXED way before it was played.
Italy's football clubs are embroiled in a nasty indictment of game fixing in the Italian leagues, including many players on the Italian national team.
To me, World Cup Football is like Horse Racing, Boxing or Professional Wrestling. It's all fixed.
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My predictions:
Germany over Italy in penalty kicks...
Portugal torches France 3-1...