Your view on video refs in football

[Andy_Faber]

so at last we have goal line technology in football. woopy-doo.

Meanwhile, in tennis Hawkeye has speeded up the game and virtually eliminated line-call dissention, in cricket the same basic tech has actually added a new dimension to the game, and in rugby the use of a video ref is also widespread. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland are denied their destiny by the dodgy eyesight of a single official, with no recourse to appeal. What are your thoughts on allowing video review of contentious decisions in football, other than goal line stuff?

Personally, I'm all for it, APART FROM, seeing it 'in person' on saturday, the time taken to review does kill the atmosphere a bit.

anyone?

[BaaLocks]

anyone?

Three points:

1: When it works is when either the game continues (for example, in Rugby Union the ref will often call upstairs to review a decision without stopping the game then, at the next opportunity, they will go back to get the decision) or when it becomes part of the entertainment (e.g. line reviews in tennis). The problem with the very nature of football is that it flows for much longer periods than other games so you could end up either stopping the game every other minute or pulling it back so far that the point would be lost.

2: Because of the lack of respect between official and player / manager that has been allowed to encroach into football it would be used as a weapon before too long. You can just see Rooney running up to the ref and demanding a video review in the same way they push to get someone booked.

3: There are plenty of technologies today without video. The NI one could have been easily helped with sensors in the shirts and ball to clearly show when impact on the arm is made, it's then just for the ref to decide whether it was intentional. BTW - I really don't think video refs would have helped in Belfast, you can't expect to stop the game every time a ball ricochets in the box.

But definitely, we should be using more technology (refs already have goal line and sensors to indicate offside and other linesman related flags that they might not see). Sensors in shirt (offside, handball as mentioned) would be two I would be certainly in favour of before video replays. I'd also mike the refs up to allow them to explain their decisions and, at the same time, embarrass some of the players to show a bit more respect to the officials.

[Romanis]

It's already in use in the Bundesliga.

I've seen some games where it really affected the game. I'm not talking about whether the ball crossed the line rather whether a penalty should be given or a goal should be chalked off. I don't think it's good. It takes the fun out of the game, becomes too technical. The idea is that the referee makes a decision on the spot, not go back and have a second look.

And it can be a detriment to a game, I watched a K-League (South Korea). The referee chalked off 2 goals to a team that was 1-0 down, for the kinds of infringements that should not warrant any action on his part.

[ramAnag]

Works well in both rugby codes, cricket and tennis. Why not football? Perhaps the ‘elephant in the room’ is that football fans won’t be able to handle it...sad indictment if that is the case...the only fans who can’t take a drink into the stadium or, it seems, handle the tension involved in the correct decision being reached.

One strange anomaly...in Rugby League the video ref can’t be used to judge a forward pass, in Rugby Union - much to England’s delight on Saturday - they can. How does that work?

[Bloomeram]

so at last we have goal line technology in football. woopy-doo.

Meanwhile, in tennis Hawkeye has speeded up the game and virtually eliminated line-call dissention, in cricket the same basic tech has actually added a new dimension to the game, and in rugby the use of a video ref is also widespread. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland are denied their destiny by the dodgy eyesight of a single official, with no recourse to appeal. What are your thoughts on allowing video review of contentious decisions in football, other than goal line stuff?

Personally, I'm all for it, APART FROM, seeing it 'in person' on saturday, the time taken to review does kill the atmosphere a bit.

anyone?

Not a big fan of technology in sport but those REALLY important decisions with millions of pounds or a Countries progress in a competition really needs the goal line tech. Cuts out all the human error, just look at frank Lampard's goal against Germany in the World Cup. A couple of feet over the line but not given.

Would also give referee's the time to come up with the correct decision over major incidents for penalties, and or sending off's.
Obviously some decisions would take time to review and would add to the overall time added on at the end of game but maybe a small price to get things correct.

The thing I would like to see brought back is the old off-side rule. It was clear and didn't leave room for conjecture. You were either off or on. Nno more being in an active position, doubt about being in the line of sight of the keeper etc...

[ramAnag]

Not a big fan of technology in sport but those REALLY important decisions with millions of pounds or a Countries progress in a competition really needs the goal line tech. Cuts out all the human error, just look at frank Lampard's goal against Germany in the World Cup. A couple of feet over the line but not given.

Would also give referee's the time to come up with the correct decision over major incidents for penalties, and or sending off's.
Obviously some decisions would take time to review and would add to the overall time added on at the end of game but maybe a small price to get things correct.

The thing I would like to see brought back is the old off-side rule. It was clear and didn't leave room for conjecture. You were either off or on. Nno more being in an active position, doubt about being in the line of sight of the keeper etc...

Take your point Bloomer, but an awful lot of goals were ruled out under the old rule by players being technically ‘offside’ even though they were otherwise irrelevant. Maybe sticking with the new rule but adding that anyone in an offside position within the six yard box would, by definition, be technically interfering would be a solution?

[Romanis]

Funny how everyone talks about Lampard's non goal but nobody wants to mention the goal denied to Ukraine in Euro 2012

[Manofpride]

Funny how everyone talks about Lampard's non goal but nobody wants to mention the goal denied to Ukraine in Euro 2012

You could see how the Ref got that one wrong though, the ball was mid air and a defenders foot wrapped round it.
It made it difficult to see if the ball was over the line. Lampards goal bounced of the ground two foot behind the goal line for all to see.

[AdiSalisbury]

The thing I would like to see brought back is the old off-side rule. It was clear and didn't leave room for conjecture. You were either off or on. Nno more being in an active position, doubt about being in the line of sight of the keeper etc...

Totally agree with this, it's a skill to stay on-side, there's no excuse about being inactive, everyone knows the rules. All we've done now is introduced a grey area.

Not keen on video technology during the game, though would like to see retrospective punishment for diving.

[Bloomeram]

Take your point Bloomer, but an awful lot of goals were ruled out under the old rule by players being technically ‘offside’ even though they were otherwise irrelevant. Maybe sticking with the new rule but adding that anyone in an offside position within the six yard box would, by definition, be technically interfering would be a solution?

Old rule to the best of my knowledge was: if an attacking player is in front of the last defender and another defender or goalkeeper he is offside.................nice, simple and was used for many years with little or no problem. Yes mistakes were made by inattentive or incompetent lino's/refs but at least people knew where they stood on the rule. Now we have in an active role/position/ interfering with play and many more pure conjecture decisions to be made by lino and ref......................For me it is the old system.