Would a video referee work in football?
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 25 May 2012 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, Besart Berisha, FIFA, football, Rugby League, State Of Origin
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The video referee has ruined rugby league. And that farcical end to game one in Origin prompted a media fall-out similar to the one which erupted after Besart Berisha slotted home the winning penalty in the A-League grand final.
Video referees were introduced to rugby league in the mid-1990s, presumably to cut down on the number of contentious and plainly incorrect decisions being made in the game.
It made sense given that league is such an intrinsically televisual sport but far from eliminating confusion, video refereeing has only added to it.
And that’s a danger which could befall football if any potential introduction of video technology is implemented without thorough consideration of its possible effects.
How, for example, would a video referee have reacted to Liam Miller’s foul on Besart Berisha which led to Brisbane Roar’s championship-winning spot-kick?
I felt match referee Jarrod Gillett was vindicated by Fox Sports’ frame-by-frame analysis the day after the match, but would a video referee of the sort used in rugby league be afforded the time to make such a crucial decision?
And what if the video referee got the decision wrong, as I felt Sean Hampstead did with the Greg Inglis try on Wednesday night?
Wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose of using video technology in the first place?
Video refereeing is of course a separate issue to goal-line technology, the latter of which would eliminate scenes like Frank Lampard’s phantom goal against Germany at the World Cup in 2010.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter had for years been against it, but no doubt sensing the tide of opinion was shifting against him, he’s now changed his tune and sanctioned testing on a variety of goal-line technology systems.
But given Blatter’s penchant for shady deals, it’s hard to imagine a man of such questionable character as the ideal person to institute any monumental changes.
At any rate, the question of using video replays and goal-line technology in football will never disappear given that mistakes are an inevitable part of a sport now broadcast to millions across the globe.
But getting back to the fall-out from Inglis’ Origin try, I was almost heartened to see the media frenzy which erupted in the aftermath of Queensland’s controversial victory because it reminded me of the ruckus started after Brisbane Roar’s incredible A-League win.
Plenty of critics took a potshot at the A-League after Berisha’s contentious winner but as I argued at the time, it was precisely the type of drama which sparks proverbial water-cooler discussions around the workplace.
It would be as ludicrous to write off the A-League on the basis of one refereeing decision as it would to suggest State of Origin should be scrapped because a video referee rules it acceptable to knock the ball on before scoring a try.
The point is these kinds of incidents get fans talking and once the dust has died down, it also gets fans clamouring for more action.
Speaking of wanting to see more, how good was Eddy Bosnar’s free-kick in Suwon’s 2-1 win over Ulsan last weekend?
Sadly I don’t think my old sparring partner will come into contention for a Socceroos call-up any time soon – particularly at the age of 32 – but it’s great to see him smash home his first league goal for the Bluewings.
No need for goal-line technology to determine that one hit the back of the net, although the shot was reputedly one of the fastest free-kicks ever clocked.
I doubt FIFA will introduce video refereeing with that kind of speed but it’s interesting to imagine how using video replays might affect the game.
Mike Tuckerman is a Sydney-born journalist and lifelong football fan. After lengthy stints watching the beautiful game in Germany and Japan, he has settled in Brisbane and has been a Roar columnist since December 2008. Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman
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- A-League, Besart Berisha, FIFA, football, Rugby League, State Of Origin
May 25th 2012 @ 3:49am
Siege of Perth said | May 25th 2012 @ 3:49am | Report comment
Permanent goal line technology, challenge system like tennis 1 incorrect challenge per team and a fleeting wish which I know will never happen, Robots on a rail along the touchline in line with the last defender for offside.
May 25th 2012 @ 4:10am
Johnno said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:10am | Report comment
will eventually happen i think for certain by year 2050, . And one day robots will ref matches too i think.
May 25th 2012 @ 9:41am
nordster said | May 25th 2012 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Finally an ethical use for drones!
May 25th 2012 @ 3:56am
Johnno said | May 25th 2012 @ 3:56am | Report comment
Yes don’t believe me . Just think Frank Lampard, and Theirry Henry.
And i have another radical idea, for all football codes.
Have 2 sets of refs. And at half time new fresh refs come on.
In other words just 1 half per ref at the elite level , and they interchange the extra time stuff too, so you get mentally fresher refs in the match and less tired ones too.
May 25th 2012 @ 9:50am
Kasey said | May 25th 2012 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Problem I have with that Johnno, is that refs are athletes too, they spend the first 45 communicating with the players and building a rapport, get ting into the rhythm of a game and yanking them off at HT to replace them with a set of fresh refs would destroy any consistency iover the whole game and it would be akin to taking your goal keeper off at HT.
May 25th 2012 @ 4:16am
Midfielder said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:16am | Report comment
Mike
Good article and it is interesting the media reaction Football written off so to speak whereas RL it was an issue…
May 25th 2012 @ 4:19am
Johnno said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:19am | Report comment
Pat rafter in tennis got annoyed at the cyclops in tennsi at royal sydney last year, our Pat was not happy. So in all sports technology isn’t the saviour when someone like our Pat former Australian of the year no less, is having a go at technology
May 25th 2012 @ 4:29am
amazonfan said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:29am | Report comment
I don/t think that his being a former Australian of the year or his being Australian mean anything. This technology isn’t perfect, however I think it is a heck of a lot better than the alternative.
May 25th 2012 @ 11:17am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | May 25th 2012 @ 11:17am | Report comment
The system with the limited challenges saved tennis from the constant bickering and haranguing of the chair umpire. Ironically most challenges are shown to be incorrect.
May 25th 2012 @ 4:34am
Johnno said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:34am | Report comment
Well are you disrespecting our Pat amazon, as we Australians refers to him as. He is a respected man and in reality and makes a good point amazon something that I think you have lost here about technology in your argument amazonfan.
May 25th 2012 @ 4:42am
amazonfan said | May 25th 2012 @ 4:42am | Report comment
“Well are you disrespecting our Pat amazon, as we Australians refers to him as.”
I don’t refer to him as our Pat. I guess I’m not a real Australian then.
Anyway, this has nothing to do with respecting or disrespecting him. In a discussion about sports technology, I consider his being a former Australian of the Year to be absolutely irrelevant. As for his being Aussie, if he has a good argument, it should stand regardless of where he’s from. Unless the only reason you don’t like this technology is because it disadvantaged Australia.
“He is a respected man and in reality makes a good point amazon something that I think you have lost here about technology in your argument amazonfan.”
His being a respected man is irrelevant. It doesn’t make him right. As for his making a good point, what is his point?
Johnno, instead of talking about how respected he is, and how he is our Pat, why don’t you tell me why he doesn’t like the technology? Or tell me why you don’t like the technology.
May 25th 2012 @ 5:11am
Johnno said | May 25th 2012 @ 5:11am | Report comment
Amazon he doesn’t like technology coz he wanted the cyclops off. And I like technology and believe in it despite what our Pat thinks. You are a real Australian amazon fan , just maybe out of touch when it comes to former Australia of the year our Pat.
May 25th 2012 @ 11:18am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | May 25th 2012 @ 11:18am | Report comment
Our Pat……. Cash?
May 25th 2012 @ 5:37am
Patrick Angel said | May 25th 2012 @ 5:37am | Report comment
Refusing to try video referees because they occasiobally get it wtong is flawed thinking, because they still get it wrong far less than the normal referee.
Players take more than a minute to celebrate goals, plenty of time to have a look for offside, fouls, etc.
May 27th 2012 @ 9:33pm
bart said | May 27th 2012 @ 9:33pm | Report comment
and then what would happen if its not a goal? Restart anyway just at the old score, goal kick, corner? Its too messy, decisions can be wrong at times and i think that sport is a great way of teaching us that. In doing so it helps us think through decisions in the real world, when we have more time, and determine what the possible consequences could be.
May 25th 2012 @ 6:39am
Swampy said | May 25th 2012 @ 6:39am | Report comment
Despite the obvious flaws of the referee, I like that human element of error. Goal line technology is a no brainer but happy to see which ref can stand up in the big moment and which ref can’t. Like Arjen Robben – under the cosh – can you stand the heat. While it wasn’t funny at the time, you can only look back at the Graham Poll 3 yellows with a bit of a laugh at how he failed in his biggest moment.
I’d rather talk for years about what ifs that had a human element than decisions made by a committee of ten cameras.
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May 25th 2012 @ 7:01am
Mark Roth said | May 25th 2012 @ 7:01am | Report comment
I firmly believe that a video referee/umpire could work in any sport, provided it is done somewhat like cricket and tennis. Give each team/player a small number of challenges. If they think the referee/umpire has made an error they can use of those challenges. The video shows the ruling on the pitch was wrong–the challenge is restored. The video doesn’t show absolute proof that the original ruling was incorrect–the challenge is gone and the original ruling is maintained. The two key points are that a ruling MUST be made on the field–as if there were no video challenge at all for the officials to consults–and once a team has exhausted their challenges, they cannot use them anymore.
May 25th 2012 @ 12:12pm
Mike Tuckerman said | May 25th 2012 @ 12:12pm | Report comment
Tennis is one sport that I feel technology has worked really well in.
I was at the Gabba when Peter Siddle took his hat-trick in the Ashes though and the fact England referred the decision to the third umpire really took away from the occasion.
May 25th 2012 @ 5:12pm
Axelv said | May 25th 2012 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
Agreed, when all the great moments are challenged and slowed down just out of desperation, you are ruining the sport.
Goal line technology yes.
Penalties, Free kicks, Offsides, Handballs, NO!
May 27th 2012 @ 9:35pm
bart said | May 27th 2012 @ 9:35pm | Report comment
Like
May 25th 2012 @ 8:00am
agga78 said | May 25th 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Video referees are the worst invention in sport for the past 20 years they add absolutly nothing to a sporting contest, it has ruined cricket an umpire is too scared to make a decision, In Rugby league it takes forever to make a decision and any excitment a supporter would have is completly lost waitng for the decision, AFL have introduced it and half the time it so hard to tell the orignal decison stands.
If video refereeing was introduced into football I would seriously consider never watching another game, football is about people from the players to the supporters to the referee. If video technology was introduced football would lose it’s soul, it is not needed people will talk about money and how it is a buisness but if you take away the human side of sport whats the point in playing.
May 25th 2012 @ 10:57am
Jacques said | May 25th 2012 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Agga78, never has someone written more sense on THE ROAR. Football is the game of the people for the people,from Africa to Asia and everywhere. It’s about the players,fans, referees etc. Video has wrecked cricket, looks shocking in NFL, bad for Rugby League and now AFL. Next we will have robots playing because they don’t make mistakes???
May 25th 2012 @ 8:03am
JR said | May 25th 2012 @ 8:03am | Report comment
Goal-line technology would be good not just for football but also for Australian rules as well. The video replays used in the latter are proving farcical simply because the camera cannot show the precise position of the ball in relation to the goal line and the posts. It’s a lot different when you only want to determine whether a small cork ball gas hit a wicket, bat or pad, whether the catch was grounded, whether the bowler had stepped over the crease, or if the ball was grounded over the try line with downward pressure and no knock-ons, though the last one proved a tad difficult lately.
In the case of football, it would be more in relation to allowing the play to continue as it normally would without having to stop the game for adjudication and killing off an opposition counter attack in the process.
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