Refereeing/ blaming referee

[Kandi1977]

As a referee I have both seen and felt how football is fast going in the wrong direction in terms of players, coaches, staff and crowds constantly complaining about decisions, and players surrounding the referees after a decision is given. There is NO other sport with this amount of moaning and constant battering of the officials! Just look at NFL, NBA, Handboll, Tennis, Badminton, Rugby and so on. I think it's time FIFA really puts a stop to this before it's too late! This sort of behavior is killing the sport, and it's getting increasingly difficult to recruit young boys and girls to become referees, as they get treated the same way as the professionals!

There are only two ways to get rid of this appalling behavior. First there is a need for a campaign similar to the "Fair Play" and "Say no to racism", and in addition to that is telling referees to instantly book players that complain, and send them off if they keep going. Once teams get a couple of players sent of for complaining, it's bound to stop, and it will also restrict the crowd from putting petrol on the fire.

Don't you agree it's time to end this? It's ruining the game! I know some of you will now say it's the referees that are making mistakes, but they make mistakes in other sports too, but the athletes there know they will be punished, and consequently don't do it.

 

[clownfoot]

I personally think the shows like MOTD are directly adding to the problem. Instead of analysis of a team's tactics or performance, we see squad players from the mid 90s watching slow motion replays and berating referees. Much in the way only ex players are given positions on these shoes to judge players of the modern game, ex refs should be given the role of discussing these matters, as a degree of empathy would help.

Also, instead of managers admitting their team played poorly, they can deflect and blame a ref, too. The surrounding the ref stems directly from manager. It depends on whether they tell the team to do it or not. Ferguson is the prime example, he managed to intimidate referees with his players.

 

[camspur]

Simply put, the sooner referees apply the letter of the law rather than using "common sense" the better. If someone dives book them, if someone swears at them send them off, if its a bad foul in the second minute don't say "oh he hasn't warmed up to the speed of the game" say "that was a bookable offence let's have a yellow for that".

Until referees apply the laws as written don't expect players to play to them.

 

[Kandi1977]

Very good point Clownfoot! Most football shows and pre/post analyzes spend more time on showing 50 replays from 50 different angles on refereeing decisions than the game itself. It's quite shocking and it needs to stop!

 

[Neymar]

i think the main difference between football and other sports is that the referee can have such a big influence in deciding the outcome of the game. and thus when managers/players/fans blame the referee for a poor result post game, it can often be a genuine and valid excuse. the "problem" with football is that it is a really low scoring game, and so any decisions surrounding a potential goal can change the outcome of the game drastically. often these decisions fall to the referee. and so a team's fortune's are in the balance of the referee's judgement. therefore, its not a surprise that player's and referees relationships are so strained.

also, compared to other sports where players can be dismissed (sent off), football refereeing is very arbitrary. the referee is unable to fall back on any video technology, nor do the players have any ability to contest what they may perceive to be a wrong decision. and so this becomes just another source of friction between players and referees. and its not only red card decisions; basically all football refeering decisions are largely arbitrary. theres little consistency within games, let alone betweeen games, hence the anger and confusion felt by players and clubs.

ultimately, i think most, if not all the blame for the behaviour that players show towards referees should be laid at the referees themselves and the fa. if the referee's just followed their own rules, which dictate that they should book/send off players that display offensive behaviour towards them, i don't think any of the issues that the op has mentioned would exist. so they can only blame themselves imo (theres no real need for any need rules/policies). i know in other countries ie. in scandinavian leagues, they actually do this, and so this problem is less severe. i would also add that the standard of referees in the professional english leagues isnt very good, which exacerbates the problem. and i think this is where the fa is responsible. the process through which they recruit and train referee's in england is simply not going to create many "good" referees.

as for whether its ruining the game, i dont really know. however, i think fans get behind their players when they moan at the referee, which often leads to fans becoming more "passionate", and generating a louder atmosphere. who knows, maybe its actually good for the game that people have someone to vent their frustration at, and display their passion. perhaps we should accept and embrace that referee's are the pantomime villains of the great show that is the english premier league.

 

[parklane1]

Fans are always blaming refs when their team loses and its always been the same, however the culture in todays world is that someone/something has to be to blame for everything so it is worse then it has been.

 

[shaney]

A well timed thread. Players have zero respect for refs and that is a big problem. But a lot of the refs have only themselves to blame for letting players walk all over them for years. Well done to the ref tonight for booking and sending off DiMaria for shoving him.

One thing I hate is watching players swarm around a ref snarling and swearing in his face as the ref back pedals away from them. STAND YOUR GROUND and show authority. You are the boss. Cowering away from players just gives them the impression they can and will walk over you. A ref should stand his ground and any contact on him should be a yellow. Even if it means dishing then out 6 at a time, it would stop them doing it eventually. At the moment players arrogantly feel they can do what they like. So they do.

 

[Baleforce]

I don't think its respect refs need, it's fear

yes it was good that the ref applied the letter of law with di Maria, even more impressive at OT, the problem is he let Rojo off of a clear red card challenge and failed to give bellerin a second booking, he also gave a FK to Welbeck for the exact same dive that he booked di Maria for

a step in the right direction but he's far from perfect

 

[braineclipse]

Needs to start with the associations. They're really not doing their job. So much is done that actually undermines the referees rather than helps them. Needs to be consistency and clarity.

I agree that it's rather ridiculous what footballers get away with in terms of complaining and attempting to influencing the referees.

 

[Rorschach]

The pro game has got too fast for the refs and except for hawkeye (and some shaving foam) they are not helped out at all. The powers that be could eradicate a lot of the problems overnight on the pitch if they had the mind to. They obviously don't and as such things will stumble along like they always have.

 

[Rorschach]

I don't think its respect refs need, it's fear

yes it was good that the ref applied the letter of law with di Maria, even more impressive at OT, the problem is he let Rojo off of a clear red card challenge and failed to give bellerin a second booking, he also gave a FK to Welbeck for the exact same dive that he booked di Maria for

a step in the right direction but he's far from perfect

The decision to book Jacuzzi (funny autocorrect) was also a brave call considering what had gone on before.

 

[Kandi1977]

Yeah I got lucky with the timing Well done by Oliver! Just what was needed!

 

[Baleforce]

The pro game has got too fast for the refs and except for hawkeye (and some shaving foam) they are not helped out at all. The powers that be could eradicate a lot of the problems overnight on the pitch if they had the mind to. They obviously don't and as such things will stumble along like they always have.

agreed, and, newsflash, players are going to cheat, that's why the ref is there, diving isn't going away, they have to get better at reading it, get the replay technology in and lets sort this out

 

[Rorschach]

I'd love the ref cam in rugby. I think that would help with some of the dissent issues but add to the entertainment.

 

[chicken_badge]

Refs never seem to use their linesmen. Maybe radio plays a greater part in the game than is evident but I think if it were obvious that the two of them put their heads together and agreed a solution it would be easier to put it down to human error when things go wrong.

Refs should also offer a public match report stating what they saw

Also the FA should be more proactive with retrospective action

 

[Neymar]

Yeah I got lucky with the timing Well done by Oliver! Just what was needed!

I think oliver's performance today highlights exactly how much influence a referee has over a game.

bellerin and rojo should both have got sent off.

the decision on di maria (which he got 100% correct in this occasion), isnt too disimilar to the incident oliver had with joe hart a few months back. basically, on another day (perhaps with another referee), di maria would not have got sent off.

and there are tonnes of decisions like this in virtually every premier league game, where ref's either shirk decisions or just dont see them. oliver's decisions overall went in arsenal's favour today (im not saying hes biased by any means), and so its no surprise that today is one of the rare days when arsenal get a win at old trafford.

 

[scaramanga]

I think oliver's performance today highlights exactly how much influence a referee has over a game.

bellerin and rojo should both have got sent off.

the decision on di maria (which he got 100% correct in this occasion), isnt too disimilar to the incident oliver had with joe hart a few months back. basically, on another day (perhaps with another referee), di maria would not have got sent off.

and there are tonnes of decisions like this in virtually every premier league game, where ref's either shirk decisions or just dont see them. oliver's decisions overall went in arsenal's favour today (im not saying hes biased by any means), and so its no surprise that today is one of the rare days when arsenal get a win at old trafford.

I agree that last night was a good example.

The ref lost control of that match when he failed to send Bellend off. If he'd had the guts to make a simple (and correct) decision, the game doesn't get heated, and I don't think the Di Maria incident would have happened.

 

[Baleforce]

I think we need a radical shift, there is to much going on for 3/4 people to keep track of (I'm not 100% sure of what the fourth official can or can't do), I'd like to see a team of officials with specific assignments, very similar to how the NFL works, I want replays available to the officials and challenges available to the coaching staff, I don't care about slowing the game down or differentiating it from the amateur game, this is PL football, the money is there to get things right.

 

[scaramanga]

I think we need a radical shift, there is to much going on for 3/4 people to keep track of (I'm not 100% sure of what the fourth official can or can't do), I'd like to see a team of officials with specific assignments, very similar to how the NFL works, I want replays available to the officials and challenges available to the coaching staff, I don't care about slowing the game down or differentiating it from the amateur game, this is PL football, the money is there to get things right.

One of the best things about NFL refereeing is zonal responsibility. You don't have to worry about them keeping up with play because there's always a referee near to the incident.

I'd also like to see challenges allowed - in NFL you lose a timeout, in football you could lose a sub for each incorrect challenge.

 

[Kandi1977]

One of the best things about NFL refereeing is zonal responsibility. You don't have to worry about them keeping up with play because there's always a referee near to the incident.

I'd also like to see challenges allowed - in NFL you lose a timeout, in football you could lose a sub for each incorrect challenge.

Who's gonna make that final decision, and what exactly is the right decision? Even after 100 replays, pundits and "experts" never agree! That tells me this isn't about getting it right or wrong, it's about the mentality in football, that it's always the ref that gets it wrong, never the players. It's the mentality that needs to change back to what it once was!! The referee makes the decision, and that's the END OF IT! No need to dwell on it! Get on with the game!