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World Cup Lessons
It’s nice to know we are in good company when it comes to incompetent referees and umpires. The solution is simple, of course. Yet instant replay continues to meet opposition in baseball and World Cup soccer, where the officiating has been absolutely atrocious. I’m always amazed at how often things that can be easily solved just aren’t, mostly out of greed of some kind. So instead we are left with the outcomes of important games meaning absolutely nothing. Kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn’t it?
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Drew:
As a USSF ref of 15 years, along with time spent calling football and basketball, I can confirm that calling a game of 11v11 adult men is the most challenging experience in sport officiating: 22 players, at all points of the field, all engaged in (often illegal) action, while needing to keep the ball and active play in sight at all times. It’s hard enough to keep control of game, much be in position for everything that happens.
The answer is just as simple as it was in hoops, football and hockey: more officials, more sets of eyes on the field. The Europa Tournament (Think the NIT of European pro soccer) will experiment with two more officals stationed at each goal, which would have caught a lot of the missed calls these past two weeks.
It’s hard for us Americans to fathom yet, but FIFA is a body very resistant to change – subs weren’t allowed until 1970 – but hopefully they see that this tournament has seen more than just the usual iffy judgement calls and are now dealing with situations that the current three-man setup just aren’t adequate to handle.
Good Morning from Omaha,
it all comes down to like the guy above said more sets of eyes. With 11 guys on each side it hard to keep up thats is why the ref catch the retaliation and not the initial act. but we are human and humans make mistakes.
Life is full of hits and misses. and a blown call in a “game’ is not the end of the world.
The sun will still come up in the east and those people that love you will still be there for you.
Perspective-is what we need to keep in mind- until it happens to one of my favorite teams!! Then watch out!
Strive for excellence, nothing but your best!
Gene