Sepp Blatter

Wrong about replay. Right about the discrepancy in clubs. Apparently clueless about how to rectify either of the situations.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 95&cc=5901

 

The stongest argument against technology it that football is played using exactly the same rule weather the people playing are at Old Trafford or down the park with jumpers for goal posts.

However, for me, that argument is not good enough as down the park the consequences are not the same. The FA and Prem League can introduce technology without the backing of FIFA for their own competitions. If they did that and it worked well the rest would follow. Blatter is a waste of space anyhow.

 

If that's the strongest argument, I wonder why this was not introduced a long time ago. I think there must be a strong (read: rich) lobby of people, groups, etc., that think replay will end up costing them lots of money. To me it sounds like Sepp may be in some pockets. Prehaps his strong stance on this issues just may cost him his job, and then his little line in the sand won't matter one iota.

 

But as I said to a friend the other day, what is wrong with stopping the game a few minutes to make sure a call was made correctly? There is way, way, way too much riding on these games to have the ref miss a call. I am all in favor of instant replay in most all sports, including soccer. It can and should be done.

 

I feel instant replay should be used to penalties. With all the diving that takes place in the game these days and the referees having to make split second decisions, it only seems right to give the ref a second or third look to verify the call he/she made is correct.

Goal line technology is a given. That should already be in place.

As I said earlier, there is just way too much riding on these games for a referee to make a mistake and cost a team points in the table and ultimately money.

 

When are replays used? If a player is given a yellow card should you be able to replay to see if it was deserved? What if the yellow was for persistant foul play, should all the incidents be reviewed? If not - what if they get a second yellow, can they then appeal the first? How about fouls that are outside the box and given as penalties? What about a referee's missing diving - it's a yellow card offence.

I still believe that technology is important, but that it has to happen in the flow of the game.

Going back to cricket - it is a stop start game, but technology to support the umpires have been limited to avoid breaking the rhythm of the play.

I would have a 5th official with a monitor / editing suite and radio link to the ref where he can give further advice, real time to the ref. How often has TV shown a mistake before the ref has evenmoved back the wall? I would also bring in a facility for managers to cite oppostion players for foul play after the game (taken from rugby). That way divers and dangerous play can be delt with after the event, eventually if they are caught enough they should stop doing it!

 

I am not saying every single play should be reviewed, but I do think penalties inside the box should be.

 

I'm with Tom, if you haven't already figured out. Too many people against this technology like to frame the argument as nearly an all or nothing proposition. Goal line technology, as Tom says, should be a given (and perhaps OB also). The game stops on penalty kicks anyway, so instead of running over to point at the spot and fiddle with a card, how about first running over to check the replay first OR having them check the replay upstairs and provide a decision via those oh-so NOT traditional, free flowing microphones attached to the referee's head. What's at stake besides a game that has already stopped? Just a few million dollars, pounds, whatever. The game has evolved many times over the years, so don't give me that free, natural, traditional, flow of the game bullshit anymore.

Also, Id' like to see cards and/or fines given after matches for diving. Plenty of time to review that after the match. It is cheating, plain and simple, regardless of what that oversized baby Diouf says.

When did winning fairly start getting trumped by all this other crap?? You all may call yourself fitba purists for same or different reasons. I'm a purists of all sports, which means I believe in playing and winning fairly.

 

I completely disagree with you on this. I feel that referees would be able to confidently call a penalty knowing that he/she can get the advice of people up in the booth to let them know he/she was right.

With there only being one referee, how can we be so sure that the said referee has put himself/herself into a position to clearly see a play? With the various different camera angles, it is quite evident are watching the replays whether it was a penalty or not. When is the last time you watched a match on television and could not tell after watching replays whether a penalty was correctly called or not?

The bottom line is that something needs to be done. Yes, you can fine, suspend divers after the fact, but as mentioned two other times, there is too much riding on the line in these games to let calls go like this.

You mention that we have to just deal with bad refereeing from time to time. NO, we don't. With instant replay we would know if a penalty was justified or not. I would rather wait an extra two or three minutes to get a call right than to get pissed off that a penalty was called on Fulham when it was a clear dive.

The other option would be to add another referee or even two. One is simply not enough with the pace and quickness of the game, refs cannot keep up with these people on the field and on the touch lines.

As for the NFL dumping instant replay, I am against that as well. TWICE on Sunday the refs overturned complete passes to incomplete passes late in the first half of the Bears/Patriots game. Without instant replay, the Pats would have likely scored a touchdown as the latter play was "caught" inside the five. Anyways, we as Americans and as fans need to have more patience when it comes to taking a few minutes to make sure a call is correct.

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SETTLE FOR INCOMPETENT REFS!!

 

I agree even with replays mistakes are made, but with replay, the number of mistakes dramatically decreases. That is all I am saying. I just want to make sure the calls being made in the penalty box, where penalties are converted at a high rate, are the correct decisions.

Yes, it would slow the game down a bit, but as I said, I have no problems sacrificing a few minutes to make sure it is correct.

I also think the Premiership and other soccer leagues could implement something where the manager can challenge one call a match inside the box. In other words, if a penalty is called against a manager's team, he can challenge it and make sure it was a correct decision. Once that manager has used his challenge, he cannot challenge any more that match.

Injury time, like the last two minutes in the NFL, will be up to the disgression of the referee and the booth upstairs to call a replay on.

There are ways to have replay involved in the game without it making the game screech to a crawl. I just feel that a committee needs to sit down and discuss this and figure out a way for all to be happy with this.

 

I strongly feel that it is a dangerous precident to set. Penalties would be the start. So other game altering decisions are refered to the referee. What about off-side? Red cards? Yellow cards?

Where is the line drawn, an off-side goal scored is just as bad as a penalty wronglty awarded, so should all goals be reviewed for off-side?

 

I guess reasonable minds may differ. You can't convince me replay should not be more widely implemented, and I apparently can't convince you it should.

Flow Of The Game v. Accuracy Of The Game, the battle continues. But you have a sneaking suspicion our side will eventually win, don't you? Admit it.

 

Re: RE: Sepp Blatter

Get rid of offside. Return the game to its original form in regards to that rule.

What? Where are the purists now??