Referee stats

[CostaBaz]

Continuing with the Clusterf*** theme, of bad refs, does anyone know how their performances are monitored, with regards to controversial or disputed decisions they make?

With all matches now recorded, from several cameras, I believe that when a ref is involved in controversy, it would be a simple task to collate certain information, such as:-

Name of team that benefitted.
Name of team that didn't benefit.
Was it the home or away team.
Name(s) of player(s) involved.
Does the head ref agree with the decision.

Simply by collating this type of information, it may show patterns and identify if a ref is more likely to make bad decisions that benefit the big teams (which most of us think is a given) and if their bad decisions regularly occur against certain teams or players. It may also identify if they always lean towards the home team or unfairly penalise certain other teams.

If this was already in place, it would probably show that Howard Webb has more assists for Man Utd, in recent ye

[kernow]

This is the body that is supposed to monitor and assess the performances of match officials.
Their effectiveness is debatable when it's assumed from first principles that match officials are impartial but prone to error. They're only human after all.

Monitoring patterns of controversial decisions by individual officials, although maybe the good subject of a thesis, is probably not going to change much.

Incompetent referees will always be about. Occasionally they're replaced, "retired" or demoted to lower leagues.

Saints have been on the wrong end of some woeful decisions but I don't believe that we're alone in that.

Just hope Clankindraws, D'Urso, Foy, Webb, Dowd, Friend or Atkinson don't turn up at St Mary's anytime soon. - view external link

[proclaimer]

Saints have been on the wrong end of bad referee decisions for years, especially against the 'media favoured' teams (or big clubs as they call them).

Not sure refereeing by stats is the answer. For as long as I can remember getting one over against the odds has been very sweet revenge.

[CostaBaz]

I just think that stats may identify trends.
If the head of refs feels a ref is getting too many decisions wrong against certain teams, or for certain teams, a little word in his ear might correct it.
Or failing that he can arrange for him not to officiate in certain games.

Just like squad rotation, where players are brought in, or left out depending on opposition.

[proclaimer]

I expect they would but also I was surprised to find a game in Manchester had a referee from Greater Manchester in charge, I thought there was already a rule for that?

Trouble with stats is you end up with something that says team X hasn't had a penalty awarded for so many games and instantly the spotlight is applied. Of course that might be a positive but I suspect it wouldn't change much because any analysis would be skewed towards those same old media darling clubs again. Referee X hasn't given Man U / Chelsea/ Liverpool etc more decisions than Referee Y and so on?? I doubt Saints would get much air time.

[saintwayne]

I actually think Clattenburg is one of the better refs, though there's not much competition. I'm fed up of seeing rubbish refs at SMS, seems to be almost every game now, but we sure aren't alone.