As a retired referee, I am perhaps more critical of the man with the whistle than some. However, when we expect them to now be mindreaders, then I must draw the line.
The contentious issue of the intentional knock-on is the matter to which I am refering. When will logic dictate that if a player is in a position to interrupt a passage of play by whatever means, he will?
In the situation of a player passing a ball to another player, where an opponent can get a hand on it, then perhaps he held the pass too long.
Now, if the ball’s taken cleanly, there may well be an intercept try and the intercepting player’s a hero. If he only gets his fingertips to it then, best case, it may become a knock on.
Worst case, the referee, after looking carefully at the eyes of that player, considering whether the team has pushed the limits somewhat, then quickly reading the player’s mind, may decide that he intentionally tried to intercept that ball, without a hope of getting it, therefore he intentionally knocked it on. What a load of tripe.
Referees have enough on their plate without having to now adjudicate as to what someone was thinking in the split second prior to an incident. To award a penalty, the referee has to be certain beyond reasonable doubt, that the player was merely trying to knock the ball away from a player about to receive it.
This would have to have been the player’s intent from the start. How the heck is the referee to know that?
If a player is in a position to get to the ball, then good on him. If he can only deflect it’s flight, then so be it.
Let’s make it easier for the referee, not have him read minds as well!
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