Everybody is blaming the refs, it's the players' fault?

Question

FIFA stated before the tourney, any shirt-tugging or fouls from behind will warrant a card. Dissent will be cracked down on. In the last U20 World Cup any touching of the ball after a foul by the offending team was an automatic yellow. This is the direction FIFA wants to go. Get it! The players need to adjust.

This being said, there have been some absolutely horrible calls, Materazzi didn't deserve that red and Figo should have earned one. And yes, as much as I hate Italy, it was a PK, stop crying Roos.

Great answers.

Maybe FIFA should take a lesson from the NHL (stop laughing). After this past season's changes in rule enforcement the NHL went to great lengths to train the refs on how they want the game called giving them constant feedback and reviews. The NHL also reviews all games and if a player dives, whether the ref calls it or not, they get a warning letter in the mail the first time and suspended after that. If this was going on, I bet Shevchenko keeps his feet.

Answer 1

Too many fouls spoils the game not to mention the effectivness of the referee. I think it has been proven too many times that when a game is stopped constantly for fouls that the referee begins to lose control of the game. That kind of frustration is neither wanted or needed on the field of battle.

It doesn't matter whose fault it is. Player or ref. What matters is how the sports governing body determines how they want the game to be played. Tight or loose. I think this years World Cup is being played way to tight and the number of yellows and reds is maring the game and making it rather boring.

I would not be surprised that at some point in this tournament a major altercation, and an international incident, breaks out as a result of the tightness of the referring.

Answer 2

Yes. You are right. It sucks...but you are right. I live in the states, and a few years ago, college hockey went through something like this. The refs cracked down, and there were lots more penalties, but by the end of the season, the game was better, and the next year it really showed. So maybe in 2010, the world cup will be a cleaner, better game. That being said, there have still been some awful calls, but there will always be awful calls. And, as much as it pains me, for I hate Italy, love Australia, and regardless love rooting for the underdog, it was a penalty kick. There was nothing the Australia player could do about it, having already slid, but his body tripped an opposing player who had a clear goal scoring opportunity inside the box. Now, even though this is because the Italian player decided to run through him instead of stepping over doesnt matter. It hurts. But it's the truth.

Addition: In response to goododie4: Yes, actually, is fair, because all the refs acted on these new rules, so all the teams faced the same rules as other teams. Yes, there were still bad refs with these new rules, like the one from ITA-USA. Well, there WILL ALWAYS BE bad reffs, not matter what. Thats football.

The Addition to "Addition": Yes, goododie4, I agree. FIFA should have introduced this during qualifying, or after the cup, not right before. That is unfair. But it is unfair on everybody equally, just luck of the draw if you get a bad ref, its always like that, its just worse now because of these new rules.

Answer 3

I wholeheartedly agree with you. Figo should have seen red and Materazzi's red was questionable. It was a caution at most.

And, yes, it was a PK, however devastating it was. There was no way it could not have been called. Neill denied a goal scoring opportunity - his "tackle" was early, the Italian *tripped* over him, but Neill was obstructing the path to the goal nonethless (Read the rules, people). If that had happened outside the penalty area, it would have definitely been a free kick, and perhaps a booking depending on how the referee would have interpreted the "trip."

It's just sad to see the 'Roos go down like that. I think they would have had it if they went to extra time.

Answer 4

That load of BS is being propogated by a handful of lackys who neither understand sport, intergrity or fairness.
So, the fact FIFA decided right before the World Cup, as in 1 week before, that they were going to crack down is fair? Fair to whom? The teams who worked their asses off playing the "normal style" of football for the past 4 years of qualifying? Fair to the normally good refs who are pressured to bend over for a few FIFA lackys? Fair to a country whos hopes are dashed by horrible calls that regardles of the FIFA rules, are just horrible calls that should never be? Honestly ask yourself that question - who benefits from changing the rules 1 week before the World Cup?

Secondly - when was the last time FIFA DID NOT stand behind a ref and their calls? I dont care what country you are from - if you can't recognize Lorranda, Italy - USA ref has no business stepping on a pitch (again, he was suspended by Uruguay League in 2002 for bribes and inconsistent calls, then removed by FIFA from the World Cup 2002) - then you have no idea what football, officiating, sport and integrity are.

Name the last time a FIFA ref was publically not supported by FIFA themselves.

In response to Colin:
I think you are missing my point. FIFA had been stating new rules pre World Cup, but did not deliver these rules until a week before the World Cup when all the teams arrived. At that point, they expected refs to suddenly change their chosen style of officiating, without ample time to adjust their own way of officiating. It doesn't matter if all refs were told to change - it matters the amount of time they were given to adequatly change their way of officiating. And clearly the Sweden - England ref continued to call a great game, regardless of FIFA's new mandate - he is a great ref and refused to bend over for the FIFA "mafia". To me, that is the biggest culprit - because more than 20 games have been marred by bad calls, no calls being sold or just plain fraudulant calls by refs.
The ends do not justify the means...

Answer 5

I agree that Materazzi's red was incorrect, but so was the penalty kick. If you notice, Lucas Neill went down and did not play at the ball...and Grosso ran into him while he was on the ground, surely!

I think it is FIFA's fault, they introduce the new directives to the referees just a month or two before the biggest tournament in the world, they should've introduced the new directives, say two years ago, to give players time to adjust.

Answer 6

Bottom line is that the ref's got a tough job. A lot of players overact or fall on purpouse, the ref has to distinguish what's fake or real. It is not an easy task. Also sometimes they don't see it from the best angle and can't make a firm decision. Sometimes though ref's show favoratism or just make dumb calls, but in general it ain't their fault for the calls they make. It's all out of good judgement.

Answer 7

Obviuosly you need some glasses. materazzi did deserve the red card, and the last penalty kick was non existent. The italian player fell on top of the australian when he pushed the ball too far to reach it again. The australian player didnt touch him.

Answer 8

There will always be missed calls here and there.. but you are right.. If you are losing after 90 minutes, too bad.. that is plenty of time to take it out of the refs hands if you are the better team...

Answer 9

That was absolutely not a PK, and if you call that a PK I would question your football knowledge that you obviously copied and pasted from a web site.

Answer 10

Well said..not because I'm Italian but it goes for all the teams!!