04 May 2024 14:07:09
I was having a conversation with my son yesterday about refereeing. He is now at the stage where he feels that the standard of refereeing and the inconsistency is making a joke out of the game. VAR might be helping with offside decisions but on the down side it exposes, rather than resolves, the inconsistencies. If you're going to have VAR then surely it should be easier to be consistent on interpreting what is a hand ball or a trip justifying a penalty.
The problem starts with the ruling on the field taking precedence. We have had virtually identical hand ball situations in the last couple of games, one given against us and one not given for us. If the decision is to be reviewed by VAR anyway, it should be possible to increase consistency instead of expose it.
Today I'm watching Arsenal v Bournemouth. It's 100% clear that Havertz drags his foot intentionally over the goalkeeper's foot to win a penalty. The ref was quite reasonably fooled by the ruse, but VAR should be overturning it but failed to even ask him to review his decision.
Okay, so controversy is and always has been part of what makes the game what it is, but if the goal is to reduce or eliminate bad decisions, then the VAR officials have to have a bigger role in ensuring that the rules are applied consistently. It really shouldn't be that difficult: however, week after week the refereeing mistakes continue, only to be exacerbated by inadequate VAR application. You would think that PGMOL would want to improve the situation rather than continue on this path.
04 May 2024 14:58:37
VAR is like the Conservatives. Everyone wanted it at the start because it said it would improve things, but after a while people have realised it's not all it's cracked up to be, so now people want rid.
04 May 2024 15:26:59
Embarrassing dive, absolutely, but I see you forgot to mention the studs up challenge straight into sakas leg that somehow wasnt seemed a red card.
VAR is such a joke that I genuinely wonder if the refs are intentionally messing up to try and get it removed, a child could make better decisions!
04 May 2024 19:24:36
My latest bug bare with referees is the number of players who are blatantly diving for a penalty, the ref says no and plays on, but no booking is given.
That’s a minor point amongst the poor refereeing standards in England but it emphasises that the people making the decisions don’t know the rules, or are too scared to implement them.
The on-field refs have become bottle jobs, sometimes not giving a decision because they have VAR to check and fall back on. But the VARs are their mates who often back up the initial incorrect decision.
The way we use it and the weak mentality of those in charge is a big frustration.
Still the biggest example of our season is that handball by Romero. How that is not a penalty is beyond me. I’m not blaming the refs for our poor season because all clubs have to put up with the same refs, but you have to wonder which way the momentum may have swung if one or two decisions would’ve been given for, or against (Onana v Wolves for example) .
05 May 2024 01:42:22
I'd get rid of it. Referees are human and make mistakes. But sure what else would we have to moan about in the pub after? . Leave the mistakes to human error, suck it up and move on. It's got to the point where you can't even celebrate a goal until a few minutes after. Sucked all the spontaneity out of it. This unrealistic quest for perfection is killing the game.
05 May 2024 03:06:18
I agree noucamp, but I feel we have opened pandora's box now. can't see it ever being removed now. It us so sad when players now score and can't celebrate for 3 mins while we check a toenail.
05 May 2024 03:26:31
The laws of the game were not written to stand up to the level of scrutiny that they are now subjected to.
Imò var should not make any judgement on freeze frames or slow motion. It completely distorts the viewpoint. 2 looks in real time is enough to say if the error is clear and obvious.
The ref on the pitch needs to be in charge.
All the anger and resentment is being fuelled by the media.
Every game in every league in every country from the dog n duck to the epl there will be mistakes.
At the top level var should be there to ensure no blatant errors get through and no more.
Broadcaters need to stop focusing on every contentious decision.
Interviewer's need to stop asking managers about refs decisions.
In what other sport does this moaning and disrespect of the officials happen?
Never or very rarely coming out of a rugby match or gaa match or tennis match or cricket or aussie rules is the talk about the ref. Soccer fans are pathetic towards officials. But then again football fans are the only ones that can play better than the pros manage better than the managers, ref better than the refs Run clubs better than the directors. Again that happens rarely in other sports. Football is pretty unique in that.
For the most part every other sport focuses on the players the action, the tactical analysis the coaching the skills. But not the football media.
The officials need to get tough with the players.
Players need to respect each other, the rules, themselves, the fans and the game. Too few of them do. I think every single footballer would cheat in a heartbeat. Then cry like a baby when caught.
Can the same be said of golfers or snooker players or rugby players. ( they don't cry when caught)
I've never been to a rugby match where 20,000 people abuse the ref every 5 mins or a basketball or nfl?
Football is septic from the fans through to the players to the coaches. Refs are the least of footballs problems.
05 May 2024 06:54:32
Refs are one of the biggest problems.
They get all the power and basically never answer for anything.
Sure, players need to show respect, but when you get calls against your team all the time, don't you get to be angry? Same goes for the fans. And it is not just penalties or offsides, for example, they tend to let clubs like City make some "small" fauls and get away with it, while other clubs cant.
As for other sports, players argue with refs everywhere, just not as often. But it is not easy to regulate it. For example, basketball gives technical foul with 1 free throw, which is a good enough punishment when taking in account basketball rules. What could you implement in football? Orange card for arguing? 5 minutes off the pitch? Yellow card seems a bit too much at the moment tbh. Also, it is normal to have a reaction, they are human beings, not robots.
Not that I want to defend the players, I do think they became too soft, but refs are terrible and big part of the problem too.
05 May 2024 08:13:17
the refs on the pitch are a lot better than the guys sitting in that room in charge of Var. I think if you were going to rate them over a season from a 1-10 its a 2.
There is hardly a game they don't screw it up and then they roll out the pgmol guy mid week on sky to justify bs decisions. Complete rubbish.
There is no pressure and very little consequences when they screw things up and every once a while they don't referee the next weekend. Compare that to a bad tackle by a player and he is out 3 weeks or a manger if he says something afterwards and he is watching things from the stands next week.
Given the amount of money involved in the game and how it affects millions of fans positively or negatively, they are just no where near the standards that is needed.
05 May 2024 09:05:44
Ahmad
“the refs on the pitch are a lot better than the guys sitting in that room in charge of Var”
The refs on the pitch ARE the guys sat in that room in charge of VAR.
E. g. David Coote was the VAR at Luton on Friday night. He then refereed Arsenal v Bournemouth on Saturday lunch time.