More bad calls at the Blown Cup -- Is it time for goal line technology?

[Dr Zaius]

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Entire-world-sees-England-equalizer-except-the-?urn=sow,251654

Some people were laughing when the US team was denied a goal by an egregious call that clearly cost them the opportunity to continue, but some may not be laughing now. It looks like England may have suffered a similar fate with an even worse call.

Although Germany went on to win 4-1, the match should have been tied at 2-2 and we can only speculate how things would have went from there.

I don't understand why some form of goal tine technology isn't being used. The NFL's current implementation of instant replay is pretty damn good and doesn't slow the game.

 

[Sparafucil3]

The NFL's current implementation of instant replay is pretty damn good and doesn't slow the game.

I agree with your premise, but the NFL has a natural lull between plays not there in soccer. In the NHL, the game continues to the next break in the action and then the referees refer to the instant replay. If it is determined to be a goal, then the clock is reset to that point and nothing that happened since counts (even if the other team scores afterwards). I am not sure how well that would work in soccer. It might. What I would rather see is assistant referees in the box to help with the goal calls and all the clutching and grabbing that goes on in the box.

I would also like to see the game changed to allow the game to go on around you while you are being treated for your "injury". It would be even better if a player was made to stand on the side line for a time equal to his delay of the game. If you're truly hurt, you can be subbed right away. If you're looking to slow the game down, sit on the side while your team plays short. JMO. -- jim

 

[Yang]

Clearly not. Assistant referees usually have much harder times spotting offside positions so this not given goal which was quite easily to spot was just a big human error. In the end video replays aren´t needed because football is drama, football is referee errors, football is goalkeeper errors. Errors are always there and should stay if the sport is supposed to stay interesting. As hard as it hits the side that is affected by an particular error. Trying to tighten the rulebook corset and implementing technical aid just takes the dynamics off from a very dynamical sport.

Anyway i don´t think much would have changed with the result if that goal had been given. From what i have read off BBC the commentators are very self reflecting unlike the English players/trainer. A reason why our team is such a joy too watch is because the players can articulate very well where they can improve and point out errors they made after the match. From what i have seen after the English matches there players couldn´t and were very content with there accomplishments.

 

[kawaiku]

England would have lost anyways. Germany was the much better team through and through. I think if England wants to live up to itself then I believe little known or practically unknown players should be used for the national squad in the next 4 years. This team is too much about big names, egos, etc. to get anything done and the amount of pressure on them is ridiculous. If a team full of relatively unknowns get the chance next, they have no pressure or hype to live up to. If the last 2 world cups mean anything to the English... it is find new players, stop relying on these big name guys (although Gerard seemed to be the only one playing anywhere near expectations), and get a team together that works. Look at Germany for example, everyone was wondering how they would get along without Ballack, well really all Ballack brings to the table is great leadership nowadays, yes he is still a good player but the next generation needs to step in and step up which it clearly has. And to be frank, I'm glad we (the US) did not have to face Germany who I believe is one of the best looking teams in the tournament.

In terms of the goaline gaff... well it's happened on numerous occasions and I like the sport the way it is. However, I do believe Fifa needs to have some system of reviewing their referee's foul calling, especially the giving of yellow and red cards and the constant missing of diving. And on the topic of diving I believe Fifa needs to start implementing heavy fines on players. It is pathetic, embarrassing, and unbelievably annoying. Those two are really big sore spots for me. The Serbia vs Germany game was clearly dominated by the referee when he began handing out yellow cards like candy, and if the ref for the US vs Slovakia game incident happened much much earlier in the game, I can guarantee that wind blowing into those sails would have been gone. Fifa then, needs a reviewing body that looks into these incidences and doles out fines for diving and either revoking yellows or reds and consulting the referees about these calls and misses as well. Only then will I be happy with Fifa.

 

[Dr Zaius]

I'm sorry, I'm not buying much of that. To me, this whole thing just smacks of blatant head-up-ass disease and a refusal to enter admit this isn't 1912.

This guy has it right:
http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/FIFA-ignoring-mistakes-writing-sickeningly-glos?urn=sow,251904

 

[kawaiku]

Well it's easy to do the goal replay, just show it on the damned big screen so the ref can see it and make the call from there. The only place where this whole spiel about the ball crossing or not crossing only works with the professional teams. It makes sense to want to have some kind of goal line technology but I'm not talking about that. I'm focusing on the fact that the reffing overall has been pretty poor. These instance just stand out the most. Heck I wonder how many people recall the handball on the goal line when the US team in the played Germany in the quarters in the 2004 World Cup? The ref never called that, it could have propelled the US to the semis. The offsides call would have pissed me off more than the missed goal and it does.

I will say however that I would not be surprised at all if there was high level corruption within the Fifa governing body. In fact I think there is.

 

[Dr Zaius]

Perhaps they are listening.

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/world-cup-s-best-call-blatter-reconsiders-replay--fbintl_dw-blatter062910.html

 

[kawaiku]

Maybe... but do they really need a "video review" ala the NFL to see if the ball went over?? Just have another ref on the sidelines check, and then contact the main ref about it if they don't have a big screen. I don't see any reason to stop the flow of a match if the ball didn't cross.

 

[Dr Zaius]

Apparently they do. When you have to take steps to ensure the crowd can't see any live feeds of the game inside the stadium to keep the crowd from getting upset when they see an obvious blown call on the big screen, something is wrong.

I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want it. No one is talking about instant replay of every play or some crazy implementation that would interrupt the flow of the game. All that's being discussed is a system similar to the NFL, where each team gets the ability to challenge one or two rulings during the course of the game.

Would these few challenges (if they even occur) slow the game by a minute or two? Sure, but isn't that far preferable to having matches wrongly decided because a ref can't see everything?

This isn't 1945. A replay system can be implemented in such a way that it complements the game and gives the refs another tool to help them do their jobs.

Here we are watching the World Cup from 10,000 miles away on a state of the art plasma television as the match is transmitted in real-time via a space satellite . . . and we're arguing over whether we should have any technology involved in FIFA! It's laughable, really.

 

[Redwolf]

Goal line will probably come. But that doesn't do anything about the offside craze. We will still have umpires standing at the sideline discussing the situation while under orders to ignore the video screen.

 

[kawaiku]

There are many many more problems than that... I've seen reffing that would make these World Cup refs blush... Fifa needs to be stricter in how they deal with foul calling, diving, offside calling, what is an intentional hand ball and what isn't, ect... In general Fifa needs to do some serious reforming.

 

[Palantir]

With the little scoring or questionable goals that happen in a soccer game a quick review of "did it cross the line or not" seems like a no brainer. Pause for 20 seconds & tack the delay on to the end like normal.

As far as all the blatant blown goals in the World Cup, I put it down to referee prejudice against teams/countries they dislike. With no one to correct them in a game what does it matter currently if they are wrong 100% of the time? If they can be wrong on such obvious matters and nothing is done to correct it by Fifa think of all teh other minor issuesthey mess up (flopping etc) then it's clear that the sport is more about screwing the "other team" over than about fair play.

 

[Chris Netherton]

As far as all the blatant blown goals in the World Cup, I put it down to referee prejudice against teams/countries they dislike. With no one to correct them in a game what does it matter currently if they are wrong 100% of the time? If they can be wrong on such obvious matters and nothing is done to correct it by Fifa think of all teh other minor issuesthey mess up (flopping etc) then it's clear that the sport is more about screwing the "other team" over than about fair play.

It does matter to the refs cos if they make a stupid mistake then they go home as well. I would be surprised if the refs that refereed the England/Germany and Mexico/Argentina games get to do another one this tournament. Reffing the World Cup final is a pretty big deal. There's a certain Russian linesman who gets a mention in England every four years...

 

[wouldrichest]

I'm sorry, I'm not buying much of that. To me, this whole thing just smacks of blatant head-up-ass disease and a refusal to enter admit this isn't 1912.

This guy has it right:
http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/FIFA-ignoring-mistakes-writing-sickeningly-glos?urn=sow,251904

Well it's easy to do the goal replay, just show it on the damned big screen so the ref can see it and make the call from there. The only place where this whole spiel about the ball crossing or not crossing only works with the professional teams. It makes sense to want to have some kind of goal line technology but I'm not talking about that. I'm focusing on the fact that the reffing overall has been pretty poor. These instance just stand out the most. Heck I wonder how many people recall the handball on the goal line when the US team in the played Germany in the quarters in the 2004 World Cup? The ref never called that, it could have propelled the US to the semis. The offsides call would have pissed me off more than the missed goal and it does.

I will say however that I would not be surprised at all if there was high level corruption within the Fifa governing body. In fact I think there is.