Should there be video referees for the FIFA World Cup?

Question

It's the biggest sporting event in the world and there has been too many mistakes by on-field referees. You would not want to slow the game down but surely a video ref could be there to over-rule any obvious errors.

Answer 1

Videos as they are available now will do. The referees shall be shown after the match and shall express their views to FIFA so that they prepare themselves better. This would help FIFA too assigning works to referees. Football is a fast game, and videos should not delay decsions during the game.
Ramachandran V.

Answer 2

Yes i think its about time there should be a video and impartial referee i seen some referee giving a free kick while for the same offense and no advantage was played and no free kick given refereeing it has improved from previous world cup but i know referee are only humans but i seen some blatant fouls in the penalty area its shocking if outside the penalty area would be a free kick inside the penalty area is not the referee still lack on consistency its ok playing the advantage but sometimes the other player taking the ball is fouled in my opinion the referee should be perfect to the level of football especially world cup so if they introduce the microphone speaker for refs they should have and impartial man for the video too

Answer 3

NO. An official study found that in an average international match, with 6 spare balls being used, just from the ball going out of play, waiting for a sub, carding a player, waiting for the ball to be kicked and small things like that, in a 90 minute match, about 45 minutes are played. That means that half the time is wasted while the ball is out of play. With a video referee coming into the match, it would completely ruin a good game of soccer. Mistakes happen to everyone, and if a player makes a mistake then he does not cop it as much as the referee. There are more sites complaining about Graham Poll then there is on Kalac who almost lost the match for Australia, once almost dropping the ball from an easy corner under no pressure which almost went into the back of the net, and the sitter that he let in.

Answer 4

There's a fourth official with video replays already on the side lines ! (Remember the guy wrestling Guus Hiddink away from a monitor in the Japan - Australia game)

Given that in a lot of these cases a player is down or the ball is out of play (corner, throw, goal kick etc) I really don't think the 'slowing down the play' carries too much weight.

If they don't want the ref too be 'over-questioned', they could institute a rule where the captain has 1 right of appeal per game (or half?). If the captain challenges a call and it's upheld on video review (ie the ref was right), end of story, no more arguing. If however the 4th official shows that the appeal was correct, then the decision is reversed and the Captain retains their '1' right of appeal.

Answer 5

Yes, it would take a little more time than the 90 minutes per game but video refs are necessary especially in such a big field. A referee is only human and he can make mistakes ! It's good to know that if a mistake is made a video could make the final decision. Like in ice hockey !

Answer 6

I agree that last night there were issues with the ref in the Australia v Croatia game. I don't think that video replays are feasable as the game is fast flowing and this will slow it down. With the headsets perhaps the fourth official should be given more power to call a penalty if he sees one on video but the referee should have the final say. There should be some sort of goal line technology to determine if the ball has crossed the line though.

Answer 7

Surely the last 2 Aussie matches alone, are enough evidence that a video referee or committee of some description is required in tournaments like World Cups. For example, Viduka being wrestled to the ground by Simunic and the 2nd handball in the penalty area by Thomas late in the 2nd half.

I think that instead of slowing the actual game down a match review committee should be instated. Arjen Robben, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires would very quickly stop diving, while defenders will stop with the nasty tricks once faced with a match review committee that can enforce disciplinary action (dishing out 2, 3 and 4 match bans).

Something does indeed need to be done to improve the quality of officials, teams cannot afford to be robbed by poor decisions (everyone who played Sth Korea in the knowckout stages of '02)

Answer 8

I think There should be some autority like the third Umpire in cricket to whom the ref can consult in case of a very though call

but a video ref could be a bit too much and will take away the nature of the game.

Answer 9

There has been lots of comments about it but apparently the referees denied the usage of technology to avoid mistakes. I personally think the FIFA should force the usage on technology given the many mistakes made by the referees and to avoid them as well.

Answer 10

It is a tough decision. Breaking the pace could break the game.

But there are so many bad calls that you almost want it. That would take away a lot of the subjectivity of the ref's job.

As a resonse to Kuriyama's suggestion, one right to appeal would not be worthwhile. You can use the example of today's Croatia v Australia game. There were umpteen bad calls....each worse than the next.