I feel for Australia, the ref got it wrong! Question is :should soccer have a tv ref like in rugby or cricket?

Question

I think there should be another official who sits in the stands with tv monitors and when a foul is commited or seems to be commited and also if a team thinks they have scored because the ball went over the line but bounced back out then the tv referee can be called upon to see replays and slow motion replays to decide if a penalty or goal should be awarded. A referee on the field is only human and will make mistakes which can rob a team of all their hopes and dreams as we saw this morning happen to Australia. No I am not an Australian but I do love football and only want to see the game get with the times and use the technology that is available out there that other sports like cricket, rugby union and rugby league are using and have been using to the benefit of players, officials and fans for quite a while now.

Answer 1

The thing is this. If there is technology, use it. It's not like it's going to spoil the game and its legacy; au contraire, it will most certainly enhance the credibility of the refs and make the game fairer for all the fans and players alike. Refereeing this WC has seen some of its uglier sides, stomping chances of certain countries who have most certainly worked their butts off for this.

The refusal of FIFA to make full use of the available tech is really exasperating, if not just downright stupid.

Answer 2

I sort of agree, but I also believe in the juristiction of the referee. What I think was wrong about the Australian decision is that it was totally innapproptiate for the ref to give an 'obvious to all' dubious penalty 10 seconds before the end of the game, giving the victims no chance at all to get back in the game. If it had been a bang to rights penalty then fair enough but the ref was literally a few yards away to see that this wasnt the case, and in fact a few refs may have given a card the other way. I think that FIFA should send this ref home, or on a course or something. I firmly beleive that football, as well as Australia were the losers that night. We can only give thanks that this didnt occur in a match with England and germany , or France. With any of these teams being the victims there would have been blood on the street of Kaiserslautern post match. Not good, but probably true. I am not an Aussie by the way, just a lover of the game when its played fairly.

Answer 3

I feel ripped off too!

Not because i think the aussies deserved to win, but because the Italian's deserved to Win with dignity.

Today has been a day where no italian fan in australia can celebrate, simply because everyone agrees that the game was given to italy.

It was like the ref had decided he didn't want to umpire extra time, and knowing there was only 30 seconds left in the game, he needed to square away a win. A free kick or a corner would have given australia a chance to defend, but by calling a penalty, the odds were far more in the favour of a Goal!

I think a 3rd umpire is exactly what was needed for this game. Even if it can only be used once in a game by each team, this would have been a situation where the 3rd ref would have changed the entire game!

We need to let FIFA know, it's time to let people earn their win!

Answer 4

I believe that there should be a TV ref!!!!
I agree that a ref is only human and does make mistakes but to me and to lot of other ppl that ref new what he was doing!! i think what he did was intentional and come on with 10sec to go how cruel can you get.

the Italian's are a good team and I'm not going to question that...they do have a lot of experience and a whole country that supports them continuously, but now so do the socceroos more than ever and they amazingly and proudly showed off their talent and skills not only to all of us in oz but to the whole world during their time at the WC!!!

It seems to me that these days the game of soccer is played unfairly and by FIFA bringing in a TV ref only when it is really necessary such as a foul been played then by all means bring it on. Its not fair on any team to have to go through such a thing and not only that the players them selves i would assume would start to question themselves and the way they play. It would affect them mentally. Look at what happened to Lucas Neill, he was inconsolable the next day according to news reporters and he probably was and will be for a while, i truly feel for the guy. I think the way he played throughout each match was fantastic even on that fate full last match he was one of the best out there!!!! Go the socceroos!!! you've done us proud!!! and bring in that TV Ref!!

Answer 5

Yes, i think there should be a video ref in soccer that only helps decide over controversial decisions and penalties. It would be too disruptive to replay every foul. Maybe a video ref would encourage the players to play fair and not put on the theatrics like they do now. The video ref could put an end to sad stories like Australias penalty which saw them leave the cup on a sour note. What a terrible way to end your dream, a refs decision gone wrong! That was sooo not a penalty and to think FIFA is backing Luis Medina Cantelajo on his decision, come on, show some respect. Weve come so far even though we were playing the referee 99.9% of the time.

Go Australia, you did us proud!

Answer 6

Yes definetly for tv refereeing. If it can only improve the match and the calling, WHY NOT?

Im Australian, and that game was the worst way to lose, ever. I wonder if it was the refs way of getting out of having to continue with extra time.

The same 'tackle' was made by an italian player earlier on in the match, except no penalties or frees. How is this fair? How about showing some consistancy?!

BUT, too late now, and the ref is the boss of the game, so arguing is futile i guess. FIFA needs to do a better job at coaching refs. They are annihiliating the hopes and dreams of many nations by their bad calls.

Rock on, Socceroos.

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AGAIN. VERY bad case of refereeing.

Ghana Vs Brazil

The 2nd brazil goal was obviously off-side.
Cmon Fifa, give the underdogs a fair go.

Answer 7

They have The 5th official how many more do they need to get the game right they could have 20 if the ref is blind or corrupt that's what they should look into , they way i see it is the ref had the chance to put Italy through and did so nobody would blame him for kicking the Italian player off and screwing Italy. by the way I'm an Australian living in Malta and allot of Maltese support Italy and they all said it wasn't a penalty and the thing that got me the most is it happens a minute over the extra time please...

Answer 8

I totally agree with video ref just like in rugby or cricket. It is so ridiculous that in soccer they do not use such techniques. I mean, it will save so many hassles and creating fair opportunities to players and their teams. I can not believe that stupid referee is totally blind. He needs to be punished. It's just sooooooooo unfair for Australia to have to suffer this way because of that heartless referee. Australia played way better than the Italian's. The OZ did not deserve this.

Answer 9

Well there are many ways of looking at the issue of Tv refereeing.
Just remember that if video refereeing was used in the match between Australia and Japan, there was an instance where a japanese striker was cut down just inside the penalty box and Australia would probably have had a penalty against them, ending their dreams of winning that game. Football is a very human sport where all involved make mistakes, and in a way they even themselves out over time.

Answer 10

No, soccer is the only real traditional "big" game out there besides cricket. Keep it the way it is, we just have to train referees more. Football is a great game so we need to be careful; not to technologically alter it. Also being a referee isn't easy, all people make mistakes, it's part of the game. Thats why we have more than one referee now.